Abduction
by cheri1
Summary: Ten/Rose. While Rose is visiting her mother, both she and Jackie are kidnapped and sold into slavery. The Doctor must do everything in his power to save them both while fighting a mysterious figure who wishes to destroy him. FINISHED.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Master, you wanted to see me?"

"What news of the Time Lord?"

"He has just left Earth, my master. He left the Earth child behind with her mother."

"Excellent. Now is the time to strike. We must begin weakening the Doctor so he won't carry on with his mission of defending the universe. And one of the ways we'll do that is by destroying his emotional link to the Earth female."

"Shall I do it, master?"

"Yes, but I will go with you. We will need our combined efforts."

"Yes, master."

"Come, there is work to be done."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Nice to have you home for a change, Rose," Jackie said while she came into the lounge with two cups of tea.

"Yeah, I asked to come home," Rose said, taking the cup from her. "I missed ya."

"Really? I'm surprised since you're always on about how fabulous the Doctor is and how much you love traveling with him," Jackie said, sitting down in the chair beside the sofa.

"Yeah but I still miss you," Rose said before taking a sip of hot tea.

"Is that it or do you just want me to do your laundry?"

Rose chuckled.

"Well, that might be a part of it," she said while Jackie chuckled. "Besides, you make the best tea in the universe and I have to come home for that."

"So, when's the wedding then?" Jackie asked her.

Rose nearly choked on her tea. She lowered the cup and gave her an odd look.

"What wedding?" Rose said.

"Your wedding. The Doctor and you," Jackie said.

"There is no wedding. We're not getting married, Mum."

"Coulda fooled me. Every time you're with him, you're practically joined at his hip or he's joined at yours. You and him are lovers and don't say you're not because I'm not that thick."

Rose started to tell her they weren't lovers but her mother's raised eyebrow stopped her and she sighed.

"We have a relationship but it's not gonna lead to marriage."

"Why not?"

"Why not? Because he's not the marrying type. He already told me that he could never truly love anyone because he outlives them all."

"I thought it was because he's an alien," Jackie said.

"That as well."

Rose frowned when Jackie scoffed at that.

"What?" Rose said.

"Come off it. That doesn't matter to ya," Jackie said.

"No, it doesn't but it doesn't mean that he's gonna marry me. He doesn't want to."

"Do you?"

"Mum, why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because I'm curious. You hate being without him and you dash into the TARDIS every time he comes back for ya. You sit there and give each other lustful looks, don't think I haven't noticed that as well. You both are smitten with each other. So I wanna know if you'd like to marry him if he asked you."

"I wouldn't refuse," Rose said. "But that's never gonna happen."

"So you're just gonna grow old at his side while you pine for him."

"No, I'm not gonna pine for him. He and I…"

Rose trailed off while she considered her next words.

"We have a bond that goes deeper than marriage," she said.

"That's what everybody says, Rose. I thought the same about Pete. It's how lovers think, they think that their significant other is their soulmate and their relationship goes deeper than lust."

"Well, it does in our case," Rose said. "We've come to an understanding, him and me. We love one another much deeper than…well, much deeper than I ever have with anyone else I ever dated. He's different."

"Yeah, he has two hearts but he's still a bloke," Jackie said.

"Whatever, Mum," Rose muttered, wishing Jackie would just change the subject.

To her relief, there was a knock on the door and Jackie got up to answer the door. Rose continued to drink her now lukewarm tea while she thought about the conversation. She was jerked back to reality when Jackie cried out and she leapt up and turned to see two figures standing at the door. Both of them wore long black robes, black gloves and boots and a black cowl over a black mask that obscured their faces. Rose moved slightly and noticed the taller one was pointing a laser blaster at Jackie's chest.

"Who are you, what do you want?" Rose said, hurrying around the sofa.

"You will come with us, Rose Tyler. You and your mother and you will not resist or you will both die," the taller man said.

"Why?" Jackie said.

"Mum, no, just don't say anything," Rose said, coming up beside her mother.

"Very wise advice, Rose Tyler. You will come with us now or you will both suffer. What will it be?"

Rose glanced at her mother and Jackie nodded.

"We'll come with you," Rose said.

"Very well, follow us and don't make trouble or you'll both die," the taller man said.

Rose squeezed her mother's hand before the two of them walked out of the flat. The taller man shut the door and he and the other robed man walked behind them while they headed towards an unknown destination.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The Doctor eased down onto his jump seat and took a rest. He'd done a bit of updating to the console and made a few minor repairs to the circuitry, taking advantage of the lull in activity while Rose visited her mother. He'd fixed a minor flaw in the stabilizers and checked that the rift energy was sufficient, which it was, before taking a break. But after ten minutes, he began to feel lonely. Rose usually hung out with him in the console room and he usually was teasing and laughing with her while he was there. Her absence was as wide and deep as a black hole and more than once, she wished that Rose didn't feel the urge to go home so much. Most of the people he traveled with had cut ties while they were with him, figuring they could resume their lives when they got back. He hated feeling selfish but he loved that Rose adored him and wanted to be with him. Besides, Jackie wasn't one of his favorite people and she made him feel unwelcome whenever he stopped by her flat. He wondered when he had ever become so lonely and so needy of another person. He figured it was because he was getting old and because he was the last of his kind and because Rose had penetrated his hearts in a way no other human had.

Finally, he couldn't bear the silence any longer and figured putting up with Jackie was a reasonable tradeoff for being with Rose. He set a course for the Powell Estate.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Doctor paused at the door to Jackie's flat, bracing himself for Jackie. It was only a couple of hours and he was sure Jackie would protest his returning so soon. He thought two hours was a reasonable time to spend for Rose to spend with her mother but he knew Mother had other ideas.

He knocked on the door and waited. He frowned when no one answered and he put his ear against the door, listening for any sounds inside the flat. He didn't hear anything so he knocked again, wondering if they were asleep. He waited for five minutes and when no one came to the door, he decided to wait inside. He looked around to make sure no one was watching before using his sonic to let himself in. To his surprise, the door was unlocked since he had to use the sonic again to unlock the door he locked. He opened the door and peeked inside, calling for Rose and Jackie. No one answered and he looked around before letting himself inside. He shut the door and sniffed the air. He smelled the faint aroma of tea and he saw two half drank cups of tea on the tables by the furniture. He put his finger in one. It was cold. He sucked his finger while he went to check the other rooms. They were all empty and the Doctor wondered where they went. He figured they might have gone shopping or gone on an outing but it seemed odd to him to leave their cups of tea on the tables and not wash them out before going.

He walked over to Jackie's phone and called Rose's mobile. The phone rang and rang and rang but no one answered it. Now the Doctor felt red flags going off in his mind. He knew her mobile screen read out his name whenever he dialed her number and she always answered if it was him. Now he was really worried. He cursed himself for not learning Jackie's mobile number but he never felt he would ever have to use it.

"Where are you, Rose," he muttered to himself as he put his mobile away.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Rose and Jackie lay strapped to tables inside a spaceship. They were inside a laboratory which didn't sit well with Rose since the hooded men never told them what their intentions were. At first they protested, especially her mother until the man raised his hand and electric bolts shot out of them, shocking them both. The pain was excruciating but for Rose, it was terrible seeing her mother screaming in agony as the electricity coursed through their bodies. They both shut up after that and did what the hooded men wanted. They led them here and strapped them down to a couple of padded tables and left. Rose was terrified but she had been trained by the Doctor to remain calm during situations like this and keep a level head. She was the one who had to calm her mother down and reassure her that everything would be fine. She knew her mother wasn't convinced and to be honest, neither was she but what else could she do. They needed to keep calm and think if they were going to escape this alive.

It was while they were on the table that Rose's mobile rang in her trouser pocket. She knew who it was and she fought the straps that held her wrists, willing them to break so she could get to her phone and let the Doctor know where she was. The straps held fast and Rose muttered a curse as she relaxed her arms. Her spirits sank when the phone stopped ringing and didn't start again.

"You better turn that off when you get your arms free," Jackie said softly to her while she lay on the table beside her. "If that rings again, they might take it from you or worse."

Rose nodded.

"S'pose this sort of thing happens all the time," Jackie said to her.

"Sometimes," Rose said, staring up at the ceiling.

"Do you wait for him to come then?" Jackie said, watching her.

"Sometimes. Sometimes I free myself and escape," Rose said, looking at her. "I'm not completely useless, Mum."

"Didn't say you were," Jackie said. "But that was him, wasn't it? He tried to ring you just now?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Better turn it off then."

"I will, Mum, when I get my arms free. I can't do much at the moment."

"I know, sweetie, I'm just trying to keep calm. I haven't been through something like this before."

Rose softened her attitude and voice.

"It'll be alright, Mum," she said, trying to be reassuring.

Jackie nodded and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

"Can he track you?" she finally said, looking at her daughter.

"Track me?" Rose said.

"Yeah, he have some sort of tracking device on you so he can find you," Jackie said.

"Um…I don't think so. That's why he tried to ring me," Rose said.

"Well why not?"

Rose was taken aback at her mother's sudden angry tone of voice.

"He cares for you? And he doesn't bother to find a way to track you apart from ringing you on your mobile. Fat lot of good that does us now!" she spat out.

"Mum, calm down please," Rose said, guessing the source of her anger was more from fear than anger at the Doctor.

"I told him to protect you," Jackie said. "I made him promise so why doesn't he do what I ask and make sure he can track you when you get in trouble like this? I thought he cared for you, Rose."

"He does, Mum," Rose said.

"So why hasn't he come for you then?" Jackie said.

"He will. Just calm down."

"Rose, you're far too naïve and trusting. He puts your life in danger and you still think he's the greatest thing in the universe. What if this lot cripples you or kills you? What if he doesn't get here in time? What then?"

"Why are we here?" Rose countered. "Why were we taken? We're not important to these aliens, except for the Doctor. They want to hold us hostage and make him come to us. They're not gonna hurt us because if they do, they'll have the Oncoming Storm to deal with and he'll rip the universe apart to get to us."

"That's what you think but is that reality?"

"I don't know, Mum," Rose said with a frustrated sigh. "I know that he's always been here for me before and he's never let me down. I have to believe that he'll come and if not, we'll find a way to escape this place."

Jackie shook her head, hating her daughter's logic. She figured one day this logic would get her killed but she wasn't willing to argue with her about it since she was also holding onto the tenuous hope that the Doctor would appear. Instead, the taller of the hooded figures appeared twenty minutes later. Jackie observed her daughter. She had a defiant look on her face as the figure stood over her and Jackie was proud of her daughter for not showing fear or begging for her life. Despite her reservations about her daughter traveling with the Doctor, she could see that there had been some positive changes in her daughter. Not only was she more confident and courageous but she'd grown up and become more mature and responsible. She observed her daughter and the man staring at one another.

"What do you want?" Rose finally said, again without a trace of fear.

"The Doctor on his knees in front of me."

"P'eh, good luck with that, mate," Rose said.

"Oh, I think he will bow before me, once he sees what I've done to you and your mother."

"Leave my mother out of this," Rose spat at him while Jackie watched her with silent pride. "She has nothing to do with the Doctor or me."

"How very brave, you have learned much from him," the man said. "But I'm afraid that your mother must also pay the price for being his ally."

"No, just leave her alone, please," Rose said.

"No, leave Rose alone," Jackie finally said.

"Ah, the love between mother and daughter," the man said. "So touching. But I'm afraid I cannot fulfil your requests. You, Rose Tyler, will come with me first. Do anything to resist or escape and your mother will be tortured until she's near death. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Rose said. "I won't resist or try to escape."

"Very good," the man said. "I will unstrap you and you will come with me."

"Rose," Jackie said, her heart filled with fear for her daughter.

"I'll be alright, Mum," Rose said as the man started to unstrap her.

Jackie watched while the man finished unstrapping her. Rose sat up, hopped off the table and she watched while Rose walked out of the room with the man.

"Damn you, Doctor. Damn you to Hell," Jackie growled under her breath when the room was empty.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Rose was led to a metal door in the middle of the ship. As she stood outside it, she figured it was the door to the torture chamber. But when the door slid open silently, she was shocked to see a replica of her bedroom back at the Powell Estate. She stepped inside the room and looked around before looking back at the man.

"How did you do this?" Rose said. "This is my bedroom at home."

"I know. I have watched you for some time now, Rose," he said. "I have studied the Doctor and his allies for years."

"So what happens now?" Rose said warily, figuring the bedroom was probably still a torture chamber of some kind.

"Now, you will assist me," the man said.

"How?"

The man walked over to the chest of drawers while Rose watched. She glanced at the open door.

"If you're thinking of escaping, there's a force field over the doorway now," the man said without looking back at her.

Rose sat down on her bed, watching while the man opened the top drawer and pulled out a cube and a piece of paper. The cube was clear with another smaller whitish cube inside it. The man closed the drawer and walked back to her.

"You are going to record a little message for the Doctor and you're going to read what's written here," the man said, handing her the slip of paper. "And you will not deviate from what I've written…or else."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Damn it, Rose, where are you?" the Doctor growled.

He'd been waiting nearly three hours for her and Jackie to return and he was getting angry and frustrated. So far, he resisted ringing her again, trying not to bother her in case she was spending some alone time with her mother but he figured she would have returned the call by now. He was about to do that when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Elated, the Doctor rushed to the door but when he opened it, a flying cube nearly smacked him in the face. He stared at it in shock for a moment since he hadn't seen a message cube in years. Then it flew inside and the Doctor closed the door while the cube arced around and flew back to him. He grabbed it and the cube inside lit up.

"Doctor."

He was shocked when he heard Rose's voice coming from it. He cursed, knowing his worst fears were being confirmed. Rose had been taken by someone.

"This is Rose," Rose continued as if the Doctor didn't know her voice. "I have been abducted along with my mother. We are being held prisoner and you must surrender or…"

Rose faltered for a moment.

"Or I and my mother will be tortured," she said in a wavering voice that made the Doctor's hearts ached.

He heard her clear her throat and he knew she was getting her emotions back under control.

"We have been abducted because you are being punished for interference in the affairs of the universe. Surrender to us or I and my mother will suffer."

The Doctor suspected she was reading something or was being told what to say. He waited for Rose to tell him where to surrender but there was only silence. He thought that was the end of the message when he heard Rose say, "Where does he need to surrender? You don't say anything about that." The Doctor heard someone saying something softly. He strained his ears to listen and thought he heard, "Read what I wrote," but the person was trying not to talk very loudly. There was more silence and the Doctor waited for Rose to give him further instructions. But to his shock, the cube's light went out, signaling the end of the message.

"Where do I go to surrender?" he yelled at the cube.

He looked at it for a moment before throwing it at the wall in a rage. Someone was taunting him, manipulating him while Rose and Jackie suffered and he realized that he would probably have to wait for another cube with further instructions on it while in the meantime, whoever was holding Rose and Jackie hostage would probably torture them. He headed towards the phone and stopped short. He wondered if Rose's abductors knew about the phone call he made earlier. He hoped not since he was hoping they wouldn't search her or wouldn't know what the mobile was. He decided to hold off on contacting her for awhile in the hopes she would contact him and tell him her whereabouts. He was glad Jackie wasn't around to see him throw things but at the moment, he didn't care. He was furious and he wanted nothing more than to get his hands around the neck of Rose and Jackie's abductors and squeeze the life out of them. The Doctor walked over and retrieved the cube. He had an idea. He needed some help and he knew just where to get it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

(Torchwood Hub…)

"So…" Jack said as he leaned on Ianto's reception desk, "what are we going to do tonight?"

"I'm going to go home and watch the footie," Ianto said as he sat behind the desk.

"Ooo, anybody watching it with you?" Jack purred as he stroked his cheek.

"No."

"And…" Jack said.

"And I'm tired, Jack, and I'm not in the mood for sex," Ianto said.

"Okay, well…how about a cuddle then in front of the TV?"

Ianto considered that. He had a feeling Jack would try to do more, especially if he was in a horny mood but he also knew if he said no, Jack would pester him until he gave him.

"Alright, fine," he said. "But cuddling is all we'll do."

"You got it," Jack said cheerfully.

He jerked his head towards the front door when they heard someone pounding on it.

"The hell?" Jack said, knowing the rest of the team was inside the Hub. "I'll answer it," he said to Ianto as he stood up.

He walked over and gasped when he opened the door and a cube smacked his forehead.

"What the fuck is this?" he said as the cube rebounded and then hovered in front of him.

"Offhand, I'd say it was an aggressive flying cube, sir," Ianto said dryly as he sat behind the desk.

"Yeah, good job with the observation, Eagle Eyes," Jack said sarcastically while Ianto grinned.

Jack waited but the cube hovered in the air in front of him.

"What are you waiting for?" Ianto said after a minute of nonactivity from his lover.

"For the alien attack that I'm sure will come from this flying cube," Jack said, keeping his eyes on it.

"Why don't you grab the cube and prevent that?" Ianto said.

Jack shrugged, figuring if the thing was going to kill him, he'd be able to come back from it. He grabbed it in his hands and the inner cube began to glow. Figuring it was a bomb, Jack flinched when he saw the glow and let go. The thing hovered in front of him.

"Jack, this is the Doctor," the Doctor's voice said as the cube hovered in front of him.

"Doctor who?" Ianto said.

"Old friend," Jack said, glancing at him. "Doesn't sound like him though."

"I regenerated since I last saw you," the voice said. "I need your help. Rose and Jackie are in trouble. They've been abducted by someone who apparently wants me to surrender but won't tell me who he is or where he wants me to go. I need help, old friend. If you're interested, please meet me by Nelson's Column at midnight tonight. I will take my TARDIS there and wait fifteen minutes for you to show up. If you don't, I'll understand."

"Are you kidding? Rose is in danger and you think I won't care," Jack said to the box.

"Just look for the TARDIS," the Doctor said and Jack realized the message was recorded. "I'll be standing with it. Hopefully, I'll see you tonight. Goodbye."

The light in the inner cube faded and Jack looked at Ianto.

"I gotta do this, Yan. The Doctor's an old friend and he needs me. And Rose is in trouble, her and her mother, and they need me too. I guess I'll have to cancel the cuddle."

"Do you need me to come with you?" Ianto said.

Jack thought that over.

"The Doctor didn't say I couldn't bring help. And maybe he needs more people beside him and me. If you want to come, I'll vouch for you. If he doesn't need you, you can come back here."

Ianto nodded.

"We better tell the others then," he said to Jack.

"Yes. And right now, if I'm supposed to be in London by midnight, we need to move now."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

After telling his team where they were going, Jack and Ianto decided to take the train to London. On the way to their destination, Jack filled Ianto in on who the Doctor was so by the time they arrived, Ianto had a basic knowledge of the Doctor.

They took a taxi over to Trafalgar Square. By that time it was nearly eleven at night and the air was a bit chilly. Jack and Ianto got something to eat since they had an hour to wait before heading to Nelson's Column to wait for the TARDIS.

"So, do either of you have a plan?" Ianto asked him.

"Not yet," Jack said. "But I'm gonna pull Heaven and Earth apart to find Rose."

"Former girlfriend?"

Jack chuckled.

"Nah, tried that route but her heart is with the Doctor. Nah, she's a very dear friend that I traveled with when I traveled with the Doctor. She's more like a little sister to me since she can't be a girlfriend. We had some great times traveling in the TARDIS. I didn't know her mother that well. I only met her a few times but I know Rose loves her deeply and I'm going to try to find her too because of that."

They heard a wheezing and Jack groaned when he realized it was coming from the other side of the column.

"Yup, just my luck that we're standing on the wrong side. Come on, Yan," he said, beckoning to his lover.

They walked around the statue. When they reached the other side, the TARDIS was there and the Doctor was leaning against the open door, arms folded over his chest while he scanned his surroundings. Jack stopped when he saw the Doctor and whistled.

"Well now, this is certainly an improvement over the last body," he said to himself as he eyed the Doctor's body.

The Doctor caught sight of him and waved him over. He shot a curious look towards Ianto when he noticed Ianto was walking with him. Jack introduced him and the Doctor shook his hand.

"Welcome. I could use the extra help so you're certainly welcome here," he said to Ianto.

"Thank you, sir," Ianto said.

"No sirs, please. The Doctor will do," he said, holding up his hand.

"Any word?" Jack said to him.

The Doctor shook his head.

"No. And no clue where to start looking either. Come inside, both of you," he said, beckoning to them.

The Doctor observed Ianto as he walked inside. But Jack prepared Ianto for the TARDIS so he wasn't fazed by the interior. Jack told the Doctor that when he noticed Ianto wasn't commenting on the bigger on the inside interior.

"Good, I hate long explanations about myself," the Doctor said. "Besides, we have work to do."

"So where do we start looking?" Ianto said.

The Doctor sighed.

"No clue. Whoever this is must be playing a long game," he said to them. "I have a feeling they'll torture Rose and Jackie a bit before contacting me again. Whoever this is apparently wants to punish me for interfering in the universe."

"So who want to punish you for interfering in the universe?" Jack said.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Do you have several hours because the list is quite long," he said.

"Have you pissed off anyone recently?" Ianto asked him.

Jack chuckled at another raised eyebrow.

"The Doctor is extremely good at pissing people off, trust me," he said.

"Did the person speak when they sent the message to you?" Ianto asked.

"Well, at one point Rose asked him why there was no mention of where I should surrender to because I'm assuming they forced her to read something. I heard a very faint voice telling her to read what was written or something to that effect. But if you're asking me if I recognized the voice, no, I didn't."

Jack flopped down on the jump seat and sighed.

"So, we're at the mercy of these maniacs or maniac," Jack said to them.

The Doctor leaned back against the rim of his console and thought while Ianto sat down beside Jack.

"Do you have the cube?" the Doctor asked Jack after a couple minutes of thought.

"Yes. I figured you'd want it back," Jack said, standing up and pulling it out of the pocket of his coat.

He handed it to the Doctor and the Doctor examined it for a moment before putting it on the console.

"TARDIS, can you run an analysis and find out where this cube has been?" he asked his ship.

There was an affirmative grunt and then Jack and Ianto heard a humming while a spotlight shown down on the cube. The Doctor stood nearby, arms folded while he waited for the analysis to be complete. The analysis lasted five minutes before Gallifreyan writing appeared on the monitor. The Doctor bent over to look at the results and Jack raised his eyebrow when he got a good look at the Time Lord's ass.

"Been working out, Doc?" Jack said.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder and eyed Jack when he realized where Jack was looking. Jack giggled when the Doctor put his hands over his buttcheeks while he turned his attention back to the monitor.

"Torchwood?" the Doctor said, glancing over his shoulder at Jack.

"Yes, that's where I work," Jack said with a shrug. "I head up a team in Cardiff that's based near the rift. We investigate aliens and weird phenomena. Why?"

"Rose and I visited this house in Scotland a few months ago. It was called Torchwood. We met Queen Victoria there and dispatched a werewolf."

"And Queen Victoria was so pissed off at you that she set up the Torchwood Institute in order to monitor alien activity in general and you in particular."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"And you work for them?" he said, folding his arms over his chest again.

"No, my team and me distance ourselves from them. We just use the name," Jack said. "Some of the Torchwood Institutes aren't on the up and up so we don't associate with them."

"Some? How many are there?"

"Four, that I know of. We're Torchwood Three," Jack said.

"Just don't make me your enemy, you don't want that," the Doctor said as he turned back around to the monitor.

"Believe me, I know well the consequences of being your enemy," Jack said.

"The cube was sent to me and it was sent from an unpublished destination," the Doctor said, looking at the monitor.

"So we can't track it," Jack said.

"No, but I can send a message back," the Doctor said, leaning up and turning back around. "It means that I can't see where it came from but the destination is still encoded inside the cube. I can send a message back. Perhaps that will get results."

"Do it," Jack said.

The Doctor showed him how to activate the cube and Jack held it for him while he recorded his message.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Rose lay on the bed in her simulated bedroom. It'd been several hours and no sign of anyone apart from a robed and hooded man who brought her a tray of food. It was mainly soup and sandwiches but she didn't touch it in case it was poisoned or drugged. She was hungry but she resisted the urge to eat. She needed to be alert and aware of her surroundings. Besides, she was more concerned about her mother. She hadn't heard from her since she was taken from the lab and she was terrified they were doing something to her.

The door slid open and she sat up when the man entered the room.

"You didn't eat," he said, gesturing to the tray on her bedside table.

"Not in the mood, thanks," Rose said tersely.

"It's not poisoned, Rose. I don't intend to get rid of you that quickly," he said.

"Going to make our torment last then?"

"That depends on your behavior and the behavior of your mother."

"Where is she?" Rose said, standing up.

"She's in a room much like this one. I haven't visited her lately but she was demanding to know what we did to you."

"Did you tell her?"

"I told her you were comfortable and safe in your room, which is the truth. As I said, how safe you are depends on your level of cooperation."

"Like reading your messages to the Doctor?"

"Funny you should mention that. He sent my cube back with a message of his own."

"Yeah? Did he threaten to rip your heart from your chest?"

The man chuckled.

"No, he demanded to know where to go in order to surrender. So touching that he's giving up so quickly to save you and your mother. Which is exactly what we were counting on."

"So what do you plan to do to him?" Rose said.

"Destroy him from the inside out. First, we destroy him mentally and emotionally before we destroy him physically."

"But who are you?" Rose said.

"You will find out in time. For now, you will accompany me."

"No. Not till I see me mum," Rose said.

The man raised his hand and Rose screamed when the electricity shot from his hand and coursed through her body.

"You are in no position to demand anything of us," he said, stopping the assault after thirty seconds. "You will obey or you will suffer and your mother will suffer with you."

Rose tried not to cry but pain was wracking her body. She gasped when the man seized her body under her arms and jerked her upright.

"Come with me or suffer some more, Rose Tyler."

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Rose said, holding up her hands.

She gasped when the man shoved her hard from behind, propelling her into the wall beside the door. She cried out in pain when he slammed his fist into her back.

"I'm obeying, I'm obeying!" Rose yelled.

Then move and don't resist or give me any backchat again," the man growled.

Rose nodded, trying to ignore the pain in her back while she walked out the door.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The Doctor, Jack and Ianto were waiting for a reply. They'd sent the message out but it'd been a couple of hours now. Ianto was playing a game on his mobile and Jack watched him do it while the Doctor paced around, frustrated.

"May I make a suggestion or will that invite your wrath like it used to do," Jack said after watching him for a few minutes.

"What is your suggestion?" the Doctor said, stopping.

"When we get Rose back and I'm saying "When" on purpose. Do something to her so you can track her remotely so we aren't stuck like this."

"I thought about it but I was always too busy to do it and I kept putting it off," the Doctor said, leaning back against the rim of the console. "Now I will definitely do it WHEN we find her."

"Thank you. And thank you for not biting my head off for making a suggestion."

"I'm not like I used to be. I've calmed down a lot since then."

"Good to know," Jack said. "Then can I ask this question? Why did you leave me behind?"

The Doctor hesitated in telling him. To his relief, there was a knocking on the door and he ran over to answer it. He opened the door and ducked when the cube zoomed at him.

"That happened to me too. It hit me in the head," Jack said as he and Ianto came around the console.

"That's because it homes in on you. Unfortunately, it doesn't have any way to tell what part it's homing in on," the Doctor said as the cube stopped and hovered in front of him.

He took it in his hands and the inner cube began glowing.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched when he heard the strain in Rose's voice.

"He got your message," Rose continued. "He wishes you to meet us in…"

Jack and Ianto came up behind the Doctor. They heard Rose conversing with someone in the background and the Doctor brought the cube up to his ear, trying to hear the other person.

"Chimara," he heard a deep male voice say.

"Chimara," Rose repeated. "He says to come to Chimara."

There was another exchange between her and the man and the Doctor listened again to the male's voice.

"Recognize the voice?" Jack said.

"No," the Doctor said.

"He says to come to Telara and a guide will be there to take you to the meeting place," Rose said.

"So it could be anyone or no one in particular," Jack said to the Doctor as the inner cube's light faded.

"It could be someone from my future as well, coming back in time to kill me. All I know is I don't recognize the voice. The voice is very faint though and the man could be disguising it."

"So we're still at square one," Jack said.

"No, we have a destination now," the Doctor said.

"But it could be a trap," Ianto said.

"Yes, most likely it is but I have to go. Rose and Jackie are in danger and I have to take that risk in order to save them. You can stay here but I'm going."

"I'm going too," Jack said.

"And me," Ianto said.

"Good. Let's head for Chimara then," the Doctor said before going to the console and inputting the destination.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Doctor stood at the console, his jaw tight and his eyes steely. Jack and Ianto were holding on to the rim of the console while it sped towards Chimara. Jack looked at the Doctor and noticed his tense expression.

"Don't look so angry, we'll get her back," Jack said to him.

"That's not why I'm angry," the Doctor said.

"Why are you angry then?" Ianto said.

"Because I know Chimara and I know what goes on there," the Doctor said tersely.

"What goes on there?" Ianto said.

"Slave trading, especially in Telara where Rose said to go. I don't know how much her captor's told her but if they're going to the slave trading hub of the Silfrax Galaxy."

"They better not put her up for auction," Jack said angrily.

"You said it could be a trap so we could land up on the auction block as well," Ianto said.

"If they do, I demand top dollar," Jack said. "Just joking," Jack said to the Doctor when he glowered at him.

The TARDIS landed and powered down.

"Look, why don't I go? I'll tell them I'm you," Jack said. "They act like they don't know Yan and I are here."

The Doctor thought that over.

"And if they kill me, I come back to life. I'm immortal now, in case you don't know."

"I do know," the Doctor said. "You can try but this lot might know my incarnations so it could be risky."

"Just let me try. You and Yan can follow me but if he's gonna torture you, I'd rather take the brunt of it."

"I can't let you do that," the Doctor said. "Bad enough they might torture Rose and Jackie, I can't let them torture you as well."

"I'll accept the consequences. If they don't buy that I'm you, I'll tell them that I'm making sure they're keeping their part of the bargain and you and Yan can make an appearance."

The Doctor thought that over.

"Just be careful, don't do anything…"

"To jeopardize Rose," Jack finished for him. "I won't. I care about Rose just as much as you do and I don't want to put her in further danger."

"Alright, off you go then and be careful."

Jack nodded. The Doctor handed him his sonic and told him to show it if the captors needed proof of his identity. Jack nodded, took it from him and put it in his pocket. The Doctor and Ianto watched while he walked down the ramp to the door. He hesitated a moment, calming himself before he opened the door and stepped outside. He shut the door behind him and looked around. They were near a large concrete area with a concrete stage. There was a concrete post in the center of it and tied to it was Rose. Rose was looking at Jack with a shocked expression but Jack grinned and ran over to her.

"Rose! Thank God!"

"No, wait, there's some sort of force field around me," Rose said. "It's around me and the post and the man said that you can't touch me or get at the ropes."

Jack looked around as he mounted some concrete steps on the side of the stage. There were a few people walking by the square but the square itself was empty, except for them and the TARDIS. Jack walked up to Rose and put his hand out. About three inches from her body, he felt resistance and he cursed softly.

"Don't worry; we'll get you out of this. Just act like I'm the Doctor, it's part of our plan," Jack muttered to her when he put his hands down.

"What if he doesn't believe you're the Doctor?" Rose muttered back.

"Then we bring the real Doctor out and I say I was just checking to make sure we were in the right place."

"I don't know if that'll work. It might make them angry," Rose said softly.

"They better not hurt you or I'll get angry," Jack said with a steely look on his face.

Rose nodded to something behind him and Jack turned to see a hooded, black robed figure coming up the stairs toward him. He looked at Rose.

"Him?" he mouthed to her.

Rose nodded and Jack turned his attention back to the man who was now stopping and looking him over.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor," Jack said to the man.

"You are not the Doctor, you are Captain Jack Harkness."

"Damn. Okay, I'm not but he's here inside the TARDIS so let Rose go."

The man laughed.

"It's not that easy, Jack Harkness," he said to him.

The man turned when the TARDIS door opened and the Doctor and Ianto emerged from the time ship. The Doctor quickly closed the door behind them. He glanced at Rose and smiled at the relieved look on her face. He looked at the man and the smile fell off his face as he and Ianto walked up the steps onto the stage.

"You have made a mistake by targeting my friends," the Doctor said to the man when he came up to him while Ianto stood behind him.

"You have made a mistake by interfering in the affairs of other planets," the man said.

"And who are you exactly and what business is it of yours?" the Doctor said.

"You have brought this on yourself," the man said, ignoring his question.

"And you have brought this on yourself by kidnapping my friends. So who are you and what do you want?"

"I want your destruction."

The Doctor snorted.

"Take a number and get in the queue, mate," he said to him.

"You will kneel before me or your friends will suffer."

"If you hurt them, you will feel my wrath and believe me, you don't want that," the Doctor growled at him.

The man stared at him for a moment. Then suddenly the inside of the force field sent out electricity and Rose screamed at it went through her body again.

"ROSE!" Jack screamed as he hit the force field with the palm of his hands, trying to break through.

The Doctor and Ianto tried to charge the man but he immediately transmatted away, leaving Rose to scream in agony.

"Jack, my sonic!" the Doctor yelled as he and Ianto dashed over.

Jack fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the sonic. The Doctor quickly adjusted the setting and aimed it at the force field. The electricity shut up and Rose's legs gave way and she slumped down, half alive, while her arms hung from the ropes. Jack tried to touch her and cursed when the force field prevented him from breaking through. The Doctor tried another setting but nothing worked. The force field held and the Doctor gave up after five different settings and tried to determine the extent of Rose's injuries.

"That fucking bastard, I'll kill him for this!" Jack snarled as he felt the force field with his fingertips.

Then suddenly the ropes snapped and Rose groaned as her arms fell along with her body as she fell to the side. The Doctor tried again but there was still a force field around her. He knelt by her side, calling her name while Rose's eyes fluttered. He could tell she was on the verge of unconsciousness. He tried to move her and his face brightened momentarily when they pulled her away from the post but now the force field stayed with her and covered her whole body. Jack helped the Doctor gather Rose into his arms. For the moment, he was thankful for the force field since there was no pressure being exerted on her body. He wasn't sure of the extent of her injuries and he told Jack and Ianto to follow him while he took her to med bay. By now, Rose was unconscious and the Doctor held her as close to his body as he could while he carried her.

They walked towards the TARDIS but when they got to within a foot of it, they suddenly ran into another force field.

"No, no, no, no!" the Doctor growled as Jack and Ianto held out their hands to touch.

They went around the TARDIS, feeling it while the Doctor watched them and held Rose. He gritted his teeth when Jack and Ianto met behind it.

"It's completely surrounds it," Jack said grimly. "Whoever that bastard was, he doesn't want us leaving here anytime soon."

"He probably has the device that will turn off both force fields," the Doctor said. "So even if we have Rose, we can't free her and…he can torture her with electricity as long as she's inside here."

"Lovely," Jack said dryly. "So we get to find him."

"Like a game," Ianto said.

"Yes, my friends, I have a feeling that's exactly what this is. A game. A very deadly game with Rose and Jackie's lives at stake," the Doctor said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"So where do we start looking?" Jack said to the Doctor.

"And does Rose have enough air in there?" Ianto said.

"Oh God. Good point. Can she breathe in there?" Jack said, pointing to Rose.

"I think so," the Doctor said, gazing at her unconscious body. "It would be too quick and too easy to suffocate her. This is a form of torture, for her and for us. She can breathe."

They walked away from the TARDIS in search of any clue to the mysterious man's whereabouts. Outside of the square, there were wooden houses that didn't have much ornamentation to them. There were, however, a lot of inns.

"I said this city was the slave trading hub for the galaxy," the Doctor said to Jack and Ianto while they walked. "Not many people live here but there are many who come, spend the night and leave after the auctions are finished."

"Doesn't anyone try to stop these auctions?" Ianto asked.

"Unfortunately, for the moment, slavery is legal here," the Doctor said grimly. "The authorities can't do anything."

"That needs to be changed then," Jack said.

"Which apparently is this bloke's gripe with me. I interfere where I shouldn't," the Doctor said to him.

"Which narrows the list of suspects down to about two billion," Jack said.

"Yup, pretty much," the Doctor said.

They noticed that some of the rougher looking types were slowing down to take a look at Rose while they walked by. Jack drew near to the Doctor, protecting Rose while he glared at a few scruffy looking men, one with an eye patch and scars all over his face and another with a stubbly beard and a lustful look in his eye.

"They're sizing Rose up," Ianto said, looking at the men.

"Of course they are, I'm carrying an unconscious young woman in my arms which says to them that she's a slave just ripe for the picking," the Doctor said. "That's why we need to be vigilant."

"Way ahead of ya," Jack said, looking around.

They walked for another five minutes until the Doctor stopped them because the crowd of onlookers staring at Rose was beginning to increase and now there were even shouts from them about how much he wanted to sell her for. And the Doctor finally stopped them when some of them became belligerent at Jack when he tried to shoo them away.

"This isn't gonna work, we need to put Rose somewhere where she won't get snatched," the Doctor said. "Follow me, I have a credit stick. Let's find an inn."

They found one that didn't look rundown and seedy and entered. The man behind the front desk didn't look haggard or menacing. He looked like a friendly grandpa type with thinning white hair and wire rimmed glasses. When he looked at Rose, he was giving her a concerned look rather than sizing her up like a piece of meat.

"Is your friend alright?" he said to the Doctor.

"Not exactly, she's been injured and we need a room for the night, two rooms actually," the Doctor said, glancing at Jack and Ianto.

"I have two rooms but first, a couple of questions," the man said sternly.

Jack and Ianto glanced at the Doctor.

"Yes?" the Doctor said.

"Are you slave traders?" the man said.

"No," the Doctor said.

"Because I don't allow that scum to stay here, which is why I have rooms available," the man said.

The Doctor smiled at that.

"No, we're not criminals or slave traders. This woman was abducted and is imprisoned in a force field. Someone stole her and her mother and tortured her and I'm assuming her mother and we have to find a way to free her but we can't do it out in the open because all the slave traders are showing interest in her," he said.

The man leaned on the wooden counter and asked the Doctor to come forward. The Doctor walked up and the man cleared space on the counter so he could put her down. They watched while the man tried to touch her and he frowned when he couldn't put his hand through the force field.

"And you say a man did this to her?" the elderly man said to the Doctor.

"Yes. He transmatted away but we're sure he's nearby. I'm pretty sure he has the means to free her and he did this to my ship as well so I can't take her away from here. But we need a room so we can figure out how to free her without slavers breathing down our necks. So how much do you charge?"

"Free. I'll make it free for you," the elderly man said. "You have a valid reason for staying here and you seem like nice people. Take all the time you need to free your friend."

"Thank you so much," the Doctor said. "What's your name?"

"James."

"Thank you so much, James. I'm the Doctor."

"Jack," Jack said, nodding.

"I'm Ianto," Ianto said with a smile.

"And this is Rose," the Doctor said, nodding at her.

"Nice to meet all of you. Has Rose been drugged?" James said.

"No, the man who did this to her electrified the inside of the force field and she passed out from the electricity," the Doctor said.

James sighed and shook his head.

"Slavers," he muttered.

He went to the back wall and pulled two keys off a key rack.

"Take room one and two, they're closest to the stairs," he said, pointing to the flight of stairs to the right. "Do you need food?"

"Um…yes, if you don't mind," the Doctor said.

"I'll ask the maid, Veronica, to bring something up for you," the man said.

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

"No thanks necessary, just tend to your friend and get her free."

The Doctor nodded and thanked him again. James watched as he gathered Rose up in his arms and Jack and Ianto followed him with the keys while they headed towards the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jack unlocked the door to room one and they stepped inside. The room wasn't very big but it had two wooden beds inside it with fresh linen on them and a large table in between them. There was one window above the table and a lamp on the table along with some magazines. There were wooden lockboxes under each bed with a lock that used the same key as the room and on the ends of the beds were some towels, a flannel and a white bathrobe.

"He makes it cozy, considering it really isn't," Jack said, looking around. "So the bathroom is at the end of the hallway?"

"I think so," the Doctor said as he walked over to the bed on the left and carefully laid Rose on it.

"Can she walk inside that thing?" Ianto said while he and Jack walked up to the foot of the bed.

"Dunno but I'll be happy if she's able to walk at all after being shocked like that," the Doctor said, glancing at them. "Who knows how much internal damage that did. And what he did to her before that. Not to mention Jackie. We still need to find her. Blimey, we have a lot on our plate today."

"Why don't you lot look for that man. I'll stay and guard Rose," Ianto said.

"We can take turns guarding her," Jack said. "Just to make it fair."

The Doctor nodded. He looked at the doorway when someone knocked on the doorframe. Jack and Ianto turned and saw a humanoid lizard standing there holding a tray filled with cups of tea and sandwiches. She was wearing a white dress and a small white bonnet. Her skin was blue, mottled with yellow and her long tail was swishing back and forth while she nodded her head to them.

"I'm Veronica, sirs. I've brought you food?" she said.

"Thank you, set it here," the Doctor said, pointing to the table.

Veronica nodded and came inside the room. She glanced at Rose while she set the tray down on the table and then bowed at the waist.

"Will you be needing anything else, sirs?" she said to them.

"No, we're good," Jack said after the three men shared a look.

"Very good, sirs. Let me know if you need anything else."

They thanked her and she walked out and closed the door behind her.

"So, are we heading out?" Jack said to the Doctor.

"Just a moment. Let me have a moment with Rose and I'll join you outside," the Doctor said.

Jack nodded and he and Ianto turned to go. The Doctor watched them and waited until they closed the door behind them. He looked down at the woman he loved and found the force field, laying his hand against it.

"I hate to leave you here," he murmured to her. "But I need to find that bloke and force him to free you. I'm sorry, Rose. I'm sorry this happened to you and Jackie but I will sort it out, I promise."

He froze when he heard Rose moan and he watched while she slowly moved her head and opened her eyes.

"Doctor?" she murmured.

"Yes, I'm here, Rose," he said gently as Rose tried to focus her eyes on him. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," Rose said as she turned her head to him.

"You're still trapped inside this force field; we can't get you out at the moment. The sonic is useless anyway. I have a feeling we'll have to find Chuckles and force him to give up the device. He put one around the TARDIS as well so we brought you in here since this is a slave trading planet and the slavers were becoming interested in you. Which is probably the point. If we hadn't found this place, we'd be fighting off the slavers as well as trying to find him."

"Doctor, he still has Mum. I haven't seen her since they separated us. I was in a lab strapped to a table with her and then he forced me to leave and that's the last I saw of her. If he's doing this to me…"

"I know and I will find her. I will sort this out, I swear," the Doctor said, cursing inwardly that he couldn't touch her and comfort her. "Ianto, the new bloke, is staying with you here and guarding you while Jack and I search for the git."

"Can Jack stay with me? No offense but I don't know Ianto," Rose said.

"Well, we're going to take shifts guarding you but yes, I'll take Ianto and Jack can stay here. Can you move inside this thing?" he said, slapping the force field with his hand.

"Dunno, I was transmatted out of the spaceship and he forced me against that pole and tied me up. Then he put that thing around me. I haven't walked in it."

"Well, just rest; you got a heavy dose of electricity. We can find out if you can walk later."

"Doctor, he can do that through his hands as well. He shocked me and Mum when we wouldn't cooperate."

"And he wears gloves. Must have some sort of electricity weapon built inside his gloves…at a guess, anyway. There may be people who can generate electricity like that but thanks for the warning."

"Doctor, will I be safe here?" Rose said.

"I think so. The proprietor seems friendly. His name is James and there's a reptilian woman called Veronica who served us food. Unfortunately, we can't get the food to you yet. But they seemed concerned about you and offered us rooms for free after we explained about you. And Jack will make sure no one mucks with you. He'll rip their liver out and eat it if they so much as breathe on you wrong."

"Thank you for getting him," Rose said. "I was surprised to see him but it's nice to see him again after so long."

"I agree. Now I better go, they're waiting for me outside and the longer we wait, the bigger advantage The Dementor will have against us."

Rose chuckled at the Dementor quip. She raised her hands and was surprised when the force field stretched and allowed her to raise her arms up. The Doctor gazed at her tenderly while she put her hands near his cheeks.

"Please be careful," she said softly.

The Doctor put his hand around the force field on her right hand and put his lips against it, pretending to kiss her arm while Rose watched.

"I will be very, very careful and so will Ianto. I'm sure he'd say that if he was in the room."

"I'm sorry about not wanting him. I don't want to make him feel bad but I don't really know him and…"

"It's alright, I'm sure his feelings won't be hurt. Besides, I'm sure Jack would rather guard you for the moment until we're sure we're safe here. And…there's a force field around you so I know he won't be putting his manky paws all over your body while I'm gone."

"Oh please, it's not like that between us."

She giggled when the Doctor snorted at that.

"I trust you, it's him I have doubts about," the Doctor teased. "Be good, my vacuumed packed companion."

"You be good and don't kill…The Dementor straight away. Save some for me."

"I will, count on it," the Doctor said before kissing the force field again.

He laid his hand on the part of the force field above her head while Rose lowered her arms. He fetched the blanket from his bed and covered her up before telling her goodbye. He walked to the door, opened it and told Jack that Rose requested him to stay.

"See ya later, Yan. Blondie wants me to guard her bod," Jack said to his lover.

"And don't you go abducting her and taking her somewhere," the Doctor said, pointing his finger at Jack's face.

"Moi?" Jack said innocently while Rose giggled at that. "Oh alright, I'll refrain from taking her to some cozy Casbah inn and romancing her."

"See that you do. Rose, resist him…somehow. Ianto, come with me, we're going to go hunting for the git."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Ah, alone at last," Jack said, shutting the door and walking over to Rose. "And you can't get away."

"Oh, shut up," Rose said with a grin.

"The Doctor should be worried about you and me because I will make you mine," Jack said, bending over. "Oh crap, you can move your body and repel my advances," he said when Rose reached up to push his face away.

He tried to grab her hand and sighed when his hand closed around the force field.

"This sucks," Jack said to her.

"Tell me about it."

She fell silent for a moment.

"He could still shock me while I'm in here, do you think he will?" she asked him.

Jack's face darkened.

"He does and I'll find him myself and rip him apart," he said, sitting on the bed beside her.

"What if this force field does more than shock me? What if he releases gas in here?" Rose said. "And what did he do to Mum?"

"We'll find her, Rose," Jack said. "I doubt he's killed her or harmed her too much. He seems to know the Doctor and if he does, he'll know that making him angry is a very bad idea."

"I just wish there was a way to get out of here," Rose said, lifting her arms up and staring at them.

"But if you get out of there I'll be waiting to snog you."

"Yeah, right," Rose said while Jack chuckled. "You just said the Doctor would be angry if something happens to me."

"But he's not here and you'd never tell."

"Wanna bet?"

"Yes, I would wanna bet," Jack said.

He chuckled when Rose giggled and repelled him with her force field covered hands.

"Love to hear ya laugh, Blondie. And hopefully you feel less afraid about all this," he said to her.

"I'm not afraid, I'm more worried about what will happen to me and Mum," Rose said. "And I know you're trying to comfort me and I love that but you can't reach me in here and that bloke can do whatever he wants at the moment. If he shocks me again, you can't pull me out of here."

"I know," Jack said sourly. "Surely there's a way to free you without having to find The Monk."

"I don't know what would free me apart from the sonic and the Doctor tried that."

"No, there's gotta be a weakness of some kind. Nothing is impregnable," Jack said. "We just have to find out what it is before something happens to you."

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

The Doctor and Ianto walked through the town searching for any sign of Rose's abductor. So far there was no sign of him but they were still being watched by various slavers. The Doctor figured it was because they weren't dressed like the others. Still, he was glad Rose was hidden away so they could concentrate on finding their adversary.

"So, how did you meet Jack?" the Doctor asked Ianto while they walked.

Ianto told him the story of their first meeting while they walked. As they walked through the town, the Doctor noticed one persistent slaver was following them. He was trying to follow at a distance but the Doctor could tell the man was shadowing them. Ianto hadn't noticed but then again, he was busy telling the Doctor about him and Jack. Finally, the Doctor held his hand up to stop Ianto and turned to face the man.

"I know you're following us," he said as Ianto turned around.

The man was tall and muscular with scars all over his body. He had on a long sleeved white shirt with a leather waistcoat and leather pants and boots. The man had stubble for a beard and a lean, angular face that also had scars on it. His hair was cut short in military style and he had a leather belt with several pouches hanging from it. He walked up to the Doctor and looked him and Ianto over.

"Where is the girl?" he asked with a gruff voice.

"Safely hidden," the Doctor said.

"Good. I want to purchase her before the auction."

"She's not for sale," the Doctor said smugly.

"I will pay a good price for her. I need a sex slave as beautiful as that."

Ianto saw the Doctor's fist clench at that.

"She's not for sale," he said through clenched teeth.

"I will pay top credit for her," the man said through clenched teeth.

"She is not for sale…at any price," the Doctor said, his eyes boring into the man's.

The man reached into a pouch on his left side and pulled out a tiny blaster.

"Give her to me," the man growled at him.

"Never!" the Doctor snarled back. "And if you shoot me, you better run because I guarantee you'll get a surprise."

"Give her to me or you die!" the man growled again.

He grunted and staggered back in a daze when Ianto suddenly slammed his fist into the side of the man's head. The Doctor took advantage of that to finish the job. He punched the man and rendered him unconscious.

"Thank you," the Doctor said to Ianto.

"No problem, I figured if I didn't do that, he would either shoot you or keep threatening you," Ianto said.

"See, this is why I'm glad Rose is off the street," the Doctor said. "I'm sure there are others who are following us like he is and waiting for an opportunity to make a bid."

"Perhaps they'll back off after seeing this," Ianto said, gesturing to the unconscious man at their feet.

"Or it'll make people more determined to get at her. Either way, we have to find Rose and Jackie's abductor before…"

His eyes widened when Ianto suddenly gasped and grabbed his stomach while he doubled up in pain.

"Ianto, what's wrong?" the Doctor said.

"Someone just punched me," Ianto grunted out as he held his stomach. "I could feel the fist going into my gut."

The Doctor helped him straighten up while he looked around. He didn't see anyone near them when Ianto was punched. But he knew cloaking devices were around and extremely affordable.

"Show yourself!" the Doctor yelled as he looked around.

A few men gave him odd looks as they passed by but the Doctor ignored them. He looked at the ground, checking to make sure a projectile wasn't fired into Ianto's stomach that could be mistaken for a fist but there was nothing there.

"Come on, let's keep moving," the Doctor said, noticing a few people were stopping and staring at them intently now.

Ianto nodded. They walked away while behind them a disembodied voice chuckled softly.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The Doctor and Ianto spent two hours searching but without any success. They decided to go back to the inn and rest awhile before going back out. They walked to the inn without any trouble from anyone else and said hello to James when they entered. They went upstairs and Jack leapt up from the bed when Ianto opened the door.

"I DIDN'T RAPE HER!" he yelled.

Rose laughed hysterically at the stunned look on the Doctor's face.

"Just joking," Jack said, sitting back down. "Just wanted to see your reaction to that."

"You're lucky I didn't react by putting my fist in your face," the Doctor said as they came inside and shut the door.

"So no luck?" Jack said.

"Something punched me in the stomach," Ianto said.

"Doctor, that was rude of you," Jack said.

Rose giggled at the Doctor's eye roll.

"So you didn't see the assailant?" Jack said to Ianto.

"No, no one was around us at the time," Ianto said.

"So he's invisible?" Jack said.

"Perhaps or he has some force field weapon that could punch Ianto," the Doctor said. "We didn't see anything else after that so we came back here to rest."

"So…I assume you want the room to yourselves," Jack said.

"Yes, I'd like a bit of alone time with Rose," the Doctor said.

"Okay, I'll do the same with Ianto then. Just let us know when you'll be ready to go. I'll take the next shift with whoever's going out," Jack said. "Come on, Yan, let's go to our room and leave them alone."

Ianto nodded. The Doctor sat down in Jack's place and watched while the two of them left the room. When the door shut, he turned his attention to Rose.

"He didn't try to rape you, did he?" he said to her.

Rose giggled.

"No, you git, he's more of a gentleman than that," she said.

She giggled again when the Doctor raised his eyebrow and said nothing.

"Anyway, on to my lie-down," he said as he got up.

He lay down on the empty bed, closed his eyes and let out a series of pretend snores that were so loud and so rapid, it sounded like a pig snort. His eyes shot open and he sat up.

"Aaah, nice kip," he said while Rose giggled. "And now that I've had my kip. What do you want?"

Rose stopped laughing and stared at him.

"Me?" she said.

"No, the person who followed us here, the one who's cloaking himself and hiding in here right now. What do you want?"

"I told you what I want."

Rose jerked her head up when she heard the voice by her bed. The Doctor looked at her and gave her a reassuring look when he saw the fear on her face.

"Will you let Rose go if I surrender?" the Doctor said.

"You care for her deeply, don't you?"

"I do as I care for all my friends."

"No, this one is different. She is special," the voice said.

"Whatever. Let her go and let her mother go," the Doctor said.

"Kneel."

"Doctor, don't," Rose said.

"I have no choice, if I don't, he'll torture you."

"Doctor, no!"

But the Doctor ignored her as he knelt down.

"There, is this what you want?" he said, looking around for the source of the voice.

There was no answer and the Doctor looked around. Then he suddenly felt something trying to enter his mind and possess it. He started to put up mental blocks to fight the incursion.

Don't or your beloved dies, the man's voice echoed inside his head.

The Doctor glanced at Rose but he could tell she didn't hear that and knew the being was inside his mind.

It's not a cloaking device, it's some sort of consciousness," the Doctor said to Rose. "It's trying to take over my mind and if I don't let it, you die."

"Then don't, Doctor, fight them!" Rose said in a panicked voice.

If you fight me, she dies, the voice said inside the Doctor's head.

"I will do it but I ask for one thing," the Doctor said.

What, the voice said inside his head.

"Let me say goodbye to Rose, release her so I can hold her and say goodbye," the Doctor said. "If you let me do that, I will surrender myself to you."

There was no answer for a moment and then the Doctor heard the voice say that Rose was released.

"Rose, come to me, the force field is gone," the Doctor said.

Rose slowly sat up and sank down to the floor. She walked on her knees to the Doctor and swallowed hard when the Doctor touched her skin.

"Doctor, don't do this," Rose said as he held her in his arms.

"I have to do this or you'll die and Jackie will die as well. I have to give myself up to them to save you."

"It won't save us, it'll make things worse," Rose said.

"Do you trust me?" the Doctor said as he cupped her face with his hands.

"Always," Rose said.

Rose swallowed hard again when the Doctor nuzzled her cheek with his nose before kissing it.

"I will be a part of you," he murmured in her ear.

"And I will be a part of you, always," Rose murmured back.

"Kiss me then," the Doctor said, putting his hands on the side of her head.

Rose kissed him deeply but as they kissed, she felt something entering her mind. She started to pull away but she found she couldn't move.

Harbor me, the Doctor whispered inside her mind. Keep me safe until I can reclaim my body. Let me shelter inside you. I need your body while mine is possessed. Think to me, my hearts, will you let me come inside you.

Yes, my love, come inside me and be safe, Rose thought back.

She felt the Doctor's being inside her mind but she didn't resist as she kissed the man she loved.

I will leave enough residual consciousness to fool him, his voice said inside her mind. But I will share your mind with you and at times take control so I can help all of us. Trust me, my hearts.

I do trust you, do what you must, Rose thought back.

She felt the last of his consciousness enter her mind. What was left of the consciousness inside the Doctor pulled his body back and finished the kiss but Rose knew that the majority of the Doctor's being was now inside her. She could sense him inside her mind. Sensed his love for her and took comfort from it. The Doctor's body declared openly that he was ready before shutting his eyes. Rose backed away from him, in case his possessed body did something. It was an odd sensation, the Doctor observing events along with her, his mind inside hers. She could sense his more ancient mind and even got a flicker of some of his memories but unlike the man who was now possessing his body, she knew he would never harm her and she felt comforted knowing the bulk of his mind was free and safe inside her own.

When the Doctor's body opened its eyes and looked at her, she noticed his brown eyes were darker now, almost black and there was a hard, cold look to them. These eyes were devoid of any warmth and sympathy but she could sense the love from the Doctor within her own mind while the possessed Doctor stared at her. A twisted smile formed on the possessed Doctor's face and Rose gasped when the Possessed Doctor seized her wrist.

"Now he is mine and nothing can save you," the Possessed Doctor said as he brought his face inches from hers.

Even as the Possessed Doctor stared at her menacingly, the Doctor chuckled warmly inside Rose's mind.

That's what he thinks, he thought to her. I'm cleverer than he thinks, the stupid git.

Rose was calmed and comforted by that. The Possessed Doctor commanded her to stand up and when she did, the Possessed Doctor seized her hand again.

"Come on," he snarled at her. "Let's go get Jack and Ianto and go back home to your mum."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"So, what did you think of the Doctor?" Jack asked as he and Ianto lay in one bed in their room.

"I like him, he's a nice bloke," Ianto said while Jack stroked his cheek.

"He's the reason I became a good guy," Jack said. "I was a con artist before I met him. He set me straight and I decided to follow his example and fight evil like he does."

"Then I like him even more since he's responsible for you coming to Torchwood and meeting me."

"Yeah, that's another perk of being a good guy," Jack purred before kissing his nose.

There was a knock on the door and he groaned as he got up.

"Guess the boss is ready to move out again," Jack said, standing up. "Wow, the sex between them didn't last very long."

"Maybe they didn't have sex," Ianto said.

"Puh-leeze, alone time with Rose translates to alien baloney pony inside the human, trust me. Stay here, I'll get it. I'm gonna volunteer to go out anyway."

He opened the door and grunted when the Possessed Doctor falcon punched him immediately, sending him to the floor. Rose, standing behind him, yelled in alarm while Ianto quickly got up from the bed.

"I didn't rape her!" Jack said, rubbing his jaw, "That was a joke, idiot. Geez, Doctor, jealous much?"

"It's not the Doctor, not really. The man who captured me took control of his mind," Rose said.

"Oh yeah? Well, get out of him and leave him alone," Jack growled at the Possessed Doctor.

The Possessed Doctor sniggered.

"No one can stop me," he said to Jack. "Not even the Doctor is strong enough to reclaim his mind."

That's because I'm in here, Rose heard the Doctor say inside her mind. Wait to tell Jack and Ianto about this, my Rose. Wait until we're alone with them.

I will, Rose thought back.

"So what happens now?" Jack said as Ianto came up beside him.

"Now, we go back to my ship. Rose wants to see her mum so badly after all."

Jack narrowed his eyes. The man was speaking with the Doctor's voice and if Rose hadn't said anything, he would have assumed it was the Doctor. But whatever remained of his friend was gone for the moment. The being inside him was sneering at him and Jack longed to smack the sneer off his face. He a feeling that he and everyone else would suffer if he did that.

"So this was your plan then? Get inside the Doctor and possess him?" Jack said to the Possessed Doctor.

"Part of the plan," the Possessed Doctor said.

"So, you're just a voice and a mind?" Ianto said.

"I had a physical body once but I learned to ascend from an old spiritual master and it's a good thing too since the Doctor destroyed my planet in the Time War."

Oh? Rose heard the Doctor say. Be a lamb and ask him which planet he came from, my hearts.

"Which planet was it?" Rose said to the Possessed Doctor.

"Arcadia," the Possessed Doctor said, turning to her.

Rose sensed the Doctor's anguish at that.

"So you're blaming the Doctor for your planet's destruction, am I right?" Jack said.

"Yes," the Possessed Doctor snarled as he turned back to him. "He did nothing to save my planet."

That's a lie, Rose heard the Doctor say. I did everything in my power to save it and it still wasn't enough.

"The Doctor tried to save your world and did everything he could to save it," Rose said to the Possessed Doctor.

"And how would you know that?" he said, turning back to her.

"Because I know the Doctor and I know he'd do everything he could to save a planet in trouble, especially from the Daleks."

"I agree," Jack said. "Sitting back and doing nothing is not the Doctor's style."

"Well, you obviously don't know him that well. Because he didn't save us. My body was in danger of dying so I ascended and I've been this way ever since, except now I own the Doctor's body. The perfect revenge."

"And what…" Jack said, folding his arms over his chest. "Now what are you gonna do now that you're inside the man who supposedly wronged you. Gonna do evil things and be nasty?"

"I'm going to cause him even more anguish by destroying your lives as well," the Possessed Doctor said.

"And this will solve everything?" Rose said. "This will bring back Arcadia?"

"No, but I will make the Doctor suffer which is just as good," the Possessed Doctor said.

"And how will you do that since you're in control of his mind and body now," Jack said.

The Possessed Doctor laughed and turned to Rose.

"I'm not a fool, Doctor, I know where you went," he spoke to Rose. "You went right inside your beloved and now you're hiding inside her like a coward."

Rose, let me have control for a moment so I can speak to him.

How do I do that?

Relax. Quiet your mind and let me take control.

Rose did as he said and felt the Doctor pushing her consciousness back. She felt him taking control and she realized she was now more of an observer inside her mind while the Doctor used her to speak to their captor.

"I'm the Doctor," they heard him say with Rose's voice. "I have taken control of Rose's mind and I speak through her. What this man said is a lie. I fought tooth and nail for Arcadia but my so-called allies deserted me and the Daleks overwhelmed our position. I was forced to retreat."

"You could have done more, you should have died with the Daleks," the Possessed Doctor snarled at the Doctor.

"Yes, I should have," the Doctor said.

The Doctor sensed Rose's anguish at that but he was speaking the truth to this man now inside his body.

"For years, I wanted to die," the Doctor said. "But then I found people who brightened my life and made me want to live again. I'm sorry that you've become a mere consciousness but Rose is right, possessing me will solve nothing. Perhaps I can help you. Build you an android body so you can have a body again…"

"I do have a body. I have yours," the Possessed Doctor said gleefully. "And you can lecture me all you want but I will never give up this body. You belong to me now and now you will suffer along with everyone else. You may be in this body but you can suffer just as much as Rose, doubly in fact since you will feel Rose's anguish while you feel the pain of her body."

"Don't do this," the Doctor said. "I'm capable of mercy but I will show you no quarter if you persist…"

Jack and Ianto cried out when the Possessed Doctor punched Rose as hard as he could. Rose's head snapped back and she fell to the floor unconscious.

"Now try to talk to me when your host is unconscious," the Possessed Doctor sneered.

"Likewise," Jack said.

He tried to punch the Possessed Doctor but the Possessed Doctor dodged him, grabbed his outstretched hand and wrenched it behind his back while he grabbed him.

"Don't try it or I'll break his arm," the Possessed Doctor said to Ianto after putting his head on Jack's shoulder. "Pick up the girl and let's go!"

"Do it, Yan," Jack said.

Ianto nodded. He walked over to Rose, gathered her in his arms and picked her up. Jack winced when the Possessed Doctor jerked his arm up before forcing him and Ianto to walk out of the room.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The Doctor cursed himself. Since their captor knocked Rose unconscious, her mind was inactive but he was a secondary mind inside hers so he was still awake. He could hear everything that was going on but couldn't see anything since Rose's eyes were shut.

Bollocks, the Doctor thought to himself. I thought that would work. Apparently, he's cleverer than I thought. I should have stayed inside my body and fought him there. But it can't be helped now. I'm sorry, Rose; I didn't mean to make him punch you. I hope you forgive me when you regain consciousness.

"Is everything alright?"

The Doctor fell silent and listened when he heard James.

"Yes, we…we're moving Rose. We're being targeted and it's not safe here anymore," he heard Jack say.

"She's still unconscious," James said.

"She's been in and out of consciousness," Jack said.

The Doctor was impressed by his friend's improvisation of why Rose needed to be moved and why she'd been unconscious so long. It made him realize how much he missed him. He had run away from him and left him and he felt bad for it but he was glad that Jack was able to get away from the Gamestation and find a way to be of service to the Earth. He felt the slight vibrations in Rose's body while Ianto walked and he figured they were going out of the inn. He began to work to restore Rose to consciousness. Not only for Ianto's benefit but his own as well. He began to go through her mind, trying to stimulate parts of it so she would wake up. He was going through some of her memories and daydreams when he stumbled onto an image of Rose having passionate sex with him in her bed. They hadn't gotten this far in their relationship so he realized he was looking at one of her fantasies. He paused for a moment, observing the passionate lovemaking with bemused interest.

Rose, Rose, Rose, you do have an active imagination, he thought to himself.

He lingered a bit longer before pulling himself away and carrying on with his mission. Then suddenly, he stopped when he heard his own voice yelling out something about escaped slaves. He listened again and realized that their captor was yelling to someone that Jack, Ianto and Rose were escaped slaves. He then felt Rose's body being jostled around and heard the sounds of struggle from Jack, himself and several other men. He sensed the body flying from Ianto's arms and there was a feeling of weightlessness for a moment before Rose hit the ground and pain rocketed through her mind. He felt it as well since he now shared her mind and he was thankful Rose wasn't conscious since she landed hard on the pavement. He then listened and heard yelling and screaming from men who were calling for others to help restrain the slaves. He felt Rose being picked up, but by who, he couldn't say. It couldn't have been Ianto though since Rose was being held firmly and wasn't moving around.

"Thank you," he heard the Possessed Doctor say, "these three tried to escape from the stables. I found them and were bringing them back for auction."

"You bastard!" Jack said.

He realized then that their side lost the battle. He could hear the clanking of chains and Jack and Ianto's curses followed by the sound of fist hitting flesh and someone grunting.

"Shut up, slave," a man said. "You'll be punished, all of you, for trying to escape before being sold!"

"He's lying," Jack said. "We've been kidnapped by him and now he's trying to sell us into slavery."

"I said, shut up!" the man said before the Doctor heard more fist hitting flesh and Jack grunting.

The Doctor tried to stimulate Rose's mind so she'd wake up and he could do something. He felt something going around Rose's neck and judging from the clanking of the chains, she was being shackled along with the others.

"Now, Doctor, you and your girlfriend will be sold into slavery," the Possessed Doctor whispered in Rose's ear. "And you'll be separated from your body forever while you and Rose live out the rest of your lives in servitude. Have fun."

The Doctor tried frantically to wake Rose up but he realized that the fall to the pavement undid the progress he made and he was back to square one. Still, he worked on getting her to wake up so he could do something besides listen. The men were chuckling and taunting Jack and Ianto and he could sense them touching Rose's body, especially her breasts and anger filled his being. They were on the move again and he could hear men making crude remarks about Rose and wondering if they should rape her before the auction "to break her in" as they put it. He hoped they would refrain from doing that, because he was helpless without Rose's body.

They walked for about twenty minutes before the Doctor heard one of the men calling for a door to open. He heard the loud click of a deadbolt being drawn back and the squeak of a door opening.

"Three escaped slaves," one of the men said. "We're bringing them back in time for auction."

"We're not escaped, we've been abducted," Ianto said.

He heard someone slapping his face and yelling at him to shut up before they were moving again. It was another twenty minutes before he heard another door being unlocked.

"No, let us stay with Rose," he heard Jack say.

Then he felt another brief period of weightlessness and once again, Rose was thrown onto a hard surface.

You're gonna have one hell of a headache when you wake, my love, the Doctor thought to himself as he felt the new surge of pain throughout her body.

He heard Jack and Ianto asking to be with Rose while he heard a door being shut and locked at the same time.

"Damn it," he heard Jack say. "Now what?"

"Maybe we can ambush them, attack them when they're not expecting it," Ianto said.

"Perhaps," Jack said. "We need Rose to wake up so the Doctor will wake up to. We need to talk to both of them before we end up being sold to the highest bidder. Damn it."

Then they fell silent for awhile and the Doctor continued his work. While he did it, he was thinking. He realized that even though his body was gone, the man inside was gone as well and he didn't recall the man telling the others he was inside Rose's mind and he realized that meant he had an advantage again, if he could find a way to use it.

After twenty minutes, he finally felt Rose's mind waking up. He realized she would be in pain so he tried to stimulate endorphins to counteract that. Then ten minutes after he felt her mind waking up, her eyes finally opened and Rose let out a groan. The Doctor looked out of her eyes and saw a concrete ceiling and the tops of concrete walls but Rose was in pain and she was moving very slowly.

"Rose, are you okay?" he heard Jack say.

"No, not really," Rose groaned. "My head is killing me."

"Well, that's because you were dropped on it a couple of times," Jack said.

Doctor, are you with me? Rose thought to him.

"Yes, I'm here. My new best friend claimed we were escaped slaves and we've been taken somewhere so we can wait for an auction."

He sensed Rose's distress at that but she didn't say anything as she slowly moved her body and tried to sit up. He could see as she slowly sat up that they were inside a small concrete cell with an iron door. There was straw on the floor and a small tin pan in the corner with water in it. Rose turned her head to look at Jack and he could see Jack and Ianto sitting in another cell across a wide corridor. Their cell looked identical and in fact, there were several cells on their side. Both men had been roughed up. Jack had a black eye and both men had steel collars around their necks with a short length of chain hanging off it. He felt the same on Rose's neck and knew she was outfitted with the same thing. One cell two down from Jack and Ianto had two women inside it. They were sleeping; at least the Doctor hoped they were sleeping. They were dressed in rags and their long brunette hair was tangled and matted and filled with straw.

"Is the Doctor in there?" Jack said to Rose

"Yeah, he's here," Rose said.

"Doctor, your body is gone," Jack said to him.

Rose listened for a moment.

"He knows, he was still awake when I was unconscious, he heard everything," she said to them.

"Sorry, he surprised us," Ianto said to the Doctor.

"The Doctor says he knows and he understands," Rose said.

"We did fight them, tried to fight them. There was about twenty of them so we were a bit outnumbered," Jack said. "Not to mention Rose was unconscious so it ten against one for both of us. We were fitted with these collars and so were you and brought in here and dumped. Then they shut the doors and walked off."

Rose reached up and felt the collar around her neck. She picked up the chain to examine it and the Doctor noticed it was slightly rusted. Rose dropped the chain in between her legs in disgust.

"Did he do this to Mum as well?" Rose said. "Is she in some pen waiting for a slave auction too?"

At that, the Doctor imagined Jackie on a concrete stage like the one they found Rose on yelling at everyone in the audience to just try and bid on her if they dared. He didn't realize that Rose could see what he was thinking and Jack and Ianto frowned when Rose suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Jack said.

"Um…the Doctor made me imagine Mum on the auction block screaming at everyone to just try and bid on her. Actually, that does fit her personality," Rose said.

"So, you're sharing each other's thoughts and memories?" Jack said.

"Um…I suppose so. He thinks to me and I think back so I suppose we do," Rose said. "He took over my mind as well. I mean, he sorta pushed my mind out of the way so he could speak to that bloke earlier."

"Pushing people out of the way so he can be in charge…yeah, that's the Doctor all right," Jack said.

Ha ha, Jack, you're a laugh a minute, you are, the Doctor thought.

Rose sniggered at that.

"Now what is he making you imagine? Himself naked while he's doing the Hootchie Kootchie?" Jack said to Rose.

What the hell is the Hootchie Kootchie, the Doctor thought to Rose. I couldn't imagine it if I tried.

"No, he's thinking to me," Rose said. "He was talking to me and telling me you're a laugh a minute."

"Mm, how about you think to Rose and figure a way to get out of here now," Jack said.

"He says he's doing it so keep your trousers on," Rose said. "Also, he doesn't know what the hell a Hootchie Kootchie is so he couldn't do it if he tried."

"Shall I show you?" Jack said.

Rose paused a moment.

"No, he says that's alright, he's better off not knowing," she said to them.

They shut up when they heard a door open off to their right. Then an old bald man appeared by Rose's cage. He grinned at her as he inserted a key and turned the lock. Rose tried to get up but she was still recovering from being dropped on her head and the weight of the chain and collar also added to her misery as she struggled to get up. Then the man came into the room, seized the chain and Jack and Ianto yelled as he jerked hard on the chain and forced Rose to her feet.

"Come along, little pretty, we need to get your ready to sell," the man said as he jerked on Rose's chained and forced her to walk out the cage door.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Rose was led down the corridor towards a door at the end of it. She looked around while the man led her and the Doctor saw several more people sitting and resting in semi dirty cells. Most of the people who were awake were ragged and abused and had empty looks on their faces. He hated people like this, people like this old man who made money off the suffering of others and he was determined to find a way to stop it.

While they walked, he suddenly had an idea.

Rose, he thought to her, try to touch the sides of this bloke's head. If you can get your fingers on his temples, I can force my consciousness into his and take him over. Then we can find a way to get out of this.

Now? Rose thought.

No, wait till he gets inside the room where you can have privacy. Then do it, the Doctor thought.

Rose nodded, happy that the Doctor had thought of a solution. They reached the end of the corridor and Rose stared at the man, psyching herself up and seeing herself grabbing the man and seizing his hand. She would have to hold on tightly, long enough for the Doctor to jump from her mind to his. But she would do it if it meant they would get out of here.

They entered the room and Rose wrinkled her nose at the smell of dried urine. The room was also concrete with a desk, chair and a makeshift office at the far end of it. To Rose's distress, there was another concrete pole in the center of the room with iron chains and manacles hanging from it. Rose knew the time was short since she was sure she was about to be chained to that pole. But before he could act, the old man whipped out a small silver box and pushed a button.

"What was that?" Rose said when nothing happened.

"That was your force field prison. The man who brought you in gave it to me, told me that he kept you docile with it."

So I can't touch him now, Rose thought to the Doctor as she looked at her hands.

No. Bollocks, the Doctor thought back. Damn that bloke, I'm gonna strangle him myself when I see him again.

If we see him again, Rose thought as the man jerked her chain and compelled her to go towards the pole. Doctor, what do I do now?

Just comply with his demands, the Doctor thought. You can't touch him so fighting him is useless and if you resist, he might hurt you. So just go along with this for the moment while I think.

Rose followed the Doctor's advice. The man brought her to the pole and for a moment Rose wondered how he was going to chain her wrists to the pole when he turned a dial on the small box and informed her that the force field had been widened to include the pole and she was now encased in a tiny prison surrounding it. Rose watched while the man walked over to his desk and sat down. He opened a drawer and pulled out a few forms and picked up a pen while Rose watched.

"So…what is your name then?" the man said to Rose.

"Um…Rose Tyler," she said, thinking there was no harm in revealing her true name.

"Rose. Pretty name, pretty names attract buyers," the man muttered while he wrote that down. "Age?"

"20."

"Youth attracts buyers as well," the man said.

"You know, I do have family and friends that would miss me if I was sold into slavery," Rose said.

"You're not the first one, dearie," the man said with a shrug. "Loads of people that come through here have family and friends."

"This is wrong, you can't sell people into slavery," Rose said. "How can you even do this? Are you really that cruel and heartless?"

"No, my dear. This is a business, like any other," the man said, glancing at her.

"No, this isn't like most businesses. Most businesses do not enslave people and sell them to other people," Rose said. "Especially ones that have been kidnapped, like me and my friends. We aren't escaped slaves, that man just said that to get you to take us. He hates us and wants to get rid of us so let us go."

"You're here now so why does it matter whether or not I let you go," the man said. "So he lied about you being escaped slaves. You're slaves now, aren't you?"

"But it's wrong," Rose said.

He doesn't care, Rose, the Doctor thought to her. As he said earlier in the conversation, this is a business to him. He won't be convinced by one little girl, not after auctioning off hundreds and maybe thousands.

So what do we do? Rose thought to him.

"Date of birth?" the man said to her.

I need to touch him somehow, the Doctor thought to her. If I can get into his mind, I can control him.

"Date of birth, Rose," the man repeated. "You can think about your family and friends later."

"Do you want these?" Rose said suddenly as she cupped her breasts.

Rose, what are you doing, the Doctor thought to her.

I'm getting him to touch me so I can touch him, Rose thought back.

"Rose, I'm trying to get your information," the man said. "The quicker we can do this, the quicker you can go back to your cell."

"But I have a nice, young body. Wouldn't you like it?" Rose purred as she cupped her breasts.

The man sighed.

"You do realize you aren't the first person to trade sex for their freedom, right?" he said.

"But why would you want to give me up to someone else when you could have me all to yourself?" Rose said. "I don't want to go with some manky git who'll abuse me. I could stay with you, help you, be your lover. Wouldn't you like that?"

The Doctor did see a flicker of interest on the old man's face. Rose pulled up her shirt and her bra and showed him the goods and the Doctor saw the interest increase.

"I am only a slave dealer, I don't own slaves," the man said.

"But I need to be broken in," Rose purred as she fondled her right breast. "I need to be conditioned to be a good sex slave, yeah? Perhaps you'd like a go at me?"

The Doctor could tell he was suspicious of her sudden interest in him but he also saw lust battling with the suspicion. He thought to Rose and told her to keep going since he was sure lust would win out in the end. Then to his shock, Rose pulled down her jeans and underpants and showed him that. Now the old man's interest was definitely peaked and he got up from his desk and slowly walked towards her.

Be careful, Rose, don't go too far and end up raped, the Doctor cautioned her.

"Come to me and have a go," Rose purred as she stroked her pubic hair. "Break me in and teach me how to be a proper slave."

The Doctor could see the hesitation on the man's face. He knew the man wasn't completely buying Rose's act but the lust he had for her was slowly winning out.

All we need to do is get him to drop the force field, the Doctor thought to Rose. Do that and put your hands on his face and lean in to kiss him like I did with you. I can force myself into his mind then.

The man was still hesitating but Rose kept up the moaning and fondling of her breasts and pubic hair and he finally was won over.

"You better not try to kill me or I'll make you scream," the man said to her. "That collar and chain are still around your neck and I can use them."

"I understand," Rose said.

Then the man reached into his pocket and turned off the force field. Rose put her hands up to his face, letting her trousers and pants fall around her ankles as she focused her attention on getting her hands on him. She put her hands in the same place the Doctor did and forced herself to kiss him. As she did, she felt the Doctor leaving her mind and the man stiffened as the Doctor entered him. Rose clamped her hands onto his head as the man tried to get away and the Doctor streamed out of Rose quickly and went into the man's mind. Then Rose felt the last of him go and she broke off the kiss. The man's eyes were wide with shock and then Rose gasped when the man fell back to the floor and began to convulse.

"Doctor?" Rose said, reaching down to pull her pants and trousers up.

"AAAAAH, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" the man screamed as he convulsed.

Rose was unsure what to do. The man was yelling for the Doctor to leave his mind while his body shook and convulsed. Then suddenly, the man fell silent and his body stilled.

"Doctor?" Rose said.

"Rose?" the man said, turning his head towards her.

"Are you there?" Rose said.

"Yes. It was a struggle, forcing his mind away and blocking it," the Doctor said, sitting up. "That's why his body was convulsing, we were fighting for control but I won out."

He looked down at the man's face and made a face.

"Ugh, I'm old now," he said while Rose breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who cares, I'm just glad you're in there," Rose said, hugging him when he got to his feet.

"Rose, that was very impressive and extremely foolhardy of you but it did the job," the Doctor said, hugging her tightly.

Rose kissed his cheek before stepping back and adjusting her bra and shirt. She noticed the Doctor was staring at her breast when she pulled up her shirt to pull her bra down and she giggled and fondled her breast.

"Now, now, no time for that, dearie," he said while Rose giggled and finished pulling her bra down over her breasts. "I do have a plan though."

"And that plan is?"

"I'm thinking we should pretend to go on with the auction," the Doctor said.

"Why?" Rose said.

"Because I have a feeling my body will show up. I have a feeling our friend won't resist coming to the auction to see you, Jack and Ianto sold off. If he does, I can try to get back in my body and reclaim it."

"But can you?" Rose said. "I mean, he forced you out."

"No, I let him come in while I went into your body. I thought it was the safest course at the time but I'm pretty sure I'm far stronger than he is."

"And if you're aren't?" Rose said.

"Then we take him to the TARDIS. The TARDIS will force him out of my body and I know there's no one stronger than her in the universe."

"But you want me and Jack and Ianto to act as bait. What if he doesn't show up though? What if we get sold off?"

"Rose, I'm the one in charge now, am I not?" the Doctor said, putting his hand on his chest. "I'm the owner of the auction which means I have the final say in who gets you or if they get you."

"Okay but…here's my thought," Rose said. "Have Ianto pose as a bidder, just in case. You can always sell us to him if your body doesn't show up."

"Good idea. We'll have to disguise him though, just in case your kidnappers show up as well. But yes, we can put Ianto in the crowd as a safety measure. But I'm willing to bet, my poppet, that our friend will show and when he does, we're going to get my body back and find your mum."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Rose was relieved that the Doctor was now in control of the old man. At least now there was a way to escape their fate and find her mother. She wanted to take the collar off but the Doctor told her to leave it on for the moment.

"Keeping up appearances," he said to her. "Unless you can't bear it? Is it too tight because I can adjust it."

"No, I can bear it," Rose said. "I'm just glad you were able to go inside this guy's body for the moment."

"Yes, I'm inside…Jarvik's body," the Doctor said. "I can access his memories. The bastard's been doing this work for about fifty years now. Time for him to stop it, I think."

"I agree," Rose said.

"Let's go get Jack and Ianto and assess the condition of the others, see if they need medical attention and find out where they're originally from."

"Doctor, you have the force field controls now, you can get at the TARDIS again," Rose said gleefully.

"Yes. But I still need my body obviously. Still, at least some of this mess has been sorted. Now come with me, let's go see Jack and Ianto."

She started to follow him when the Doctor stopped and chuckled.

"Indulge me, dearest, in a little prank," he said as he grabbed the chain hanging from her collar.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Jack and Ianto got to their feet when they saw Rose come up to the cell door with the old man. Rose's head was lowered and she was staring at the floor while the old man gave them a gleeful look.

"What have you done to her?" Jack growled as he and Ianto came to the cage door.

"I have made her mine," the Doctor said. "She is now my slave in every way."

"Not if I can help it," Jack growled.

"Oh but that's just it, you can't help it or help her. She's going to give me plenty of nookie from now on."

Rose turned her head so Jack didn't see the smile on her face and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Give her to me, I'll take her place," Jack said.

"No, you're manky and you smell like cabbage. Rose smells like roses, I want her," the man said.

"You're an asshole and I'm gonna put my fist through your face if you don't release her," Jack said.

"Is that a threat, Cabbage Arse?"

Jack noticed Rose was now shaking. He was confused because he didn't realize it was silent laughter since her head was still turned away from him.

"What are you looking at, Cabbage Arse?" the Doctor said, pressing on his nose to get his attention.

"I'm looking at a dead man if you don't release her and set us free," Jack said.

"NEVER! SHE IS MINE, UTTERLY!" the Doctor yelled out dramatically.

Jack was shocked when Rose finally couldn't contain her laughter any longer.

"Aw, Rose, you ruined it," the Doctor said to her.

"Sorry, I can't help laughing at your cheesy acting," Rose said to him.

"Cheesy? I was brilliant just then."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Jack said.

"The Doctor is in here now, he forced his way into Jarvik's mind and took control," Rose said.

"So he thought he'd be an asshole to us then?" Jack said while Ianto cracked a smile.

"Just a harmless prank. Getting back at you for the whole I didn't rape her thing when you opened the door," the Doctor said.

"Cabbage Arse?" Jack said. "Seriously?"

"Would you rather I called you Manky Shoes or Rotorooter the Big Fat Tooter?" he said while Rose giggled.

"Whatever, just set us free, Chuckles," Jack said.

The Doctor unlocked the door and told them his plan while they checked on the other captives. The women in the cage near Jack's were unconscious and there was evidence of extreme physical abuse. The others were in a daze or their minds were nearly gone. Jack and Ianto coxed them out while the Doctor carried the two unconscious women back to Jarvik's office. They found a couple of camp beds in a cupboard along with some blankets and made the women comfortable for the moment while Jack and Ianto coaxed the others inside the room. The conscious captives blanched and shrank back when they saw the Doctor but he told them that everything was okay and they were free now. The four men and two women were still scared but Jack eased their fears and when they saw they weren't going to be chained up and beaten, they relaxed. Ianto and Jack went to find them some food and supplies when they were calmed down enough to stay in the same room with the Doctor and Rose spread some blankets down for them and eased their fears while they sat on them. The Doctor walked over to the desk, sat down and looked through the paperwork while Rose sat with the former slaves and asked them their names and where they came from.

"There's an auction in the morning," the Doctor said to Rose.

"Please, sir, don't sell us off," a young woman begged him.

The Doctor smiled gently and put the paper down on the desk.

"I won't sell any of you," he said, getting up and walking towards them. "My name is the Doctor. I'm inside this man, controlling him and I won't hurt any of you or sell you off. But my friends and me are going to pretend to have an auction because I need to find someone that brought us here. He has my original body and I need it back."

He crouched down beside the woman. She was in her teens with bruises all over her body. She had long brown hair that was dirty and matted and she was emaciated.

"What is your name?" he asked her while the other captives watched and listened.

"Lucy," the woman said.

"Lucy, nice to meet you. I'm trapped in this man's body and using his mind. I'm not evil like he is."

"And you're hoping the man in your body will be at the auction?" Lucy said.

"Yes. I have a way to enter my body and take it back but I need to make physical contact with him. So we're going to pretend to hold an auction because we're hoping to lure him to it."

"And then you'll kill him?" a young man said, pointing to Jarvik's body.

"No, I take him to a prison planet and leave him there and I'm going to convince the authorities to shut down the auctions and make slavery illegal."

"Let me help then," Lucy said. "Let me be part of this and help you."

"Are you sure? You aren't in the best of health, Lucy," the Doctor said.

"I know but it needs to look convincing, right? And you can't do that with three people."

"I want to help as well," the young man said.

The Doctor smiled when the other conscious captives echoed him and told them their willingness to help out.

"Thank you," he said. "Thank you all for your bravery. I promise I won't hurt any of you but we do have to make it look convincing so no one will suspect anything."

"Do what you need to do," Lucy said. "I want revenge on those bastards and I want this slave auction to end."

"Well, we have until tomorrow. Let's get you something to eat and clean you up and make you comfortable, yeah?"

The captives nodded. The Doctor was pleased that they were willing to help pull off the fake slave auction and once again, he was in awe of human bravery. When Jack and Ianto came back with boxes of food, he let them eat and then they led them to the showers and let them get cleaned up so they could relax and feel safe for the rest of the night.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

The Doctor decided to go with Ianto back to the TARDIS. To get him a disguise and to make sure that he could access his time ship. He told Rose and Jack he wouldn't be long before heading with Ianto to the front door.

"So, alone at last," Jack said, easing down into the desk chair while Rose checked the two unconscious women with Lucy.

"Hardly," Rose said, nodding her head towards Lucy and the other captives sitting on the blanket.

"Well, we can pretend, can't we?" Jack said with a wink.

"Don't listen to him, he's a gigolo," Rose said to Lucy when she gave Jack an odd look.

"Gigolo? I'm way better than that, Rose Tyler," Jack said, putting his feet up on the desk while he leaned back in the chair. "Shame on you for thinking such things."

"I suppose at the auction tomorrow you'll be prancing around the stage yelling "Take me, take me!" Rose teased him.

"Do you want me to? I could do it naked, you know," Jack said with a devilish grin.

"Belt up, Gigolo," Rose said while Jack chuckled.

Rose and Lucy finished checking the two women and sat back down on the blanket with the others. The captives were eating sandwiches and bowls of beef broth. Rose and Lucy helped themselves to some food.

"So how did you become immortal then?" Rose said to Jack as she fixed a beef sandwich.

"No idea. I was killed by a Dalek on the Gamestation and figured that was it. But I was revived and when I tried to come back to the TARDIS, the Doctor left me. Then I used my vortex manipulator to get out of there and went too far and ended up in the nineteenth century. Then I went to America and got in an argument with someone on Ellis Island and he shot me and I woke up a few minutes later after supposedly dying. And I slowly realized that I can't die and I have no idea why."

"The resurrection on the Gamestation, that was me," Rose said sheepishly.

"You?"

Rose explained what happened while she and Lucy ate with the others. She didn't remember much but she told Jack what the Doctor told her after the fact. Jack was shocked, hearing that his friend had been godlike for awhile.

"If I made you immortal, Jack, I'm truly sorry," Rose said when she finished. "I didn't mean to do that to you."

Jack chuckled. He kicked his legs off the table, stood up and walked over to her.

"You did what you did out of love," Jack said, cupping her face with his hands. "You're the sweetest person I know, Rose, and even though it's a bit inconvenient at times, I'm grateful you brought me back to life."

Rose smiled when Jack tenderly kissed her forehead.

"I doubt anyone could enslave you, Rose," he said as he sat down beside her. "You're not the enslaving type. Just like your mother isn't. You'd give them hell, Rose."

"Suppose I could," Rose said with a grin. "You're not the enslaving type either."

"Nah, tried that once, didn't suit me," Jack said. "Mind you, my master was very cute and wasn't the flogging type so we got on well."

"Listen to you, you are a gigolo," Rose said, giving him a playful shove.

"Okay, yeah, I am," Jack said with a twinkle in his eyes while she laughed.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Ianto were heading towards the TARDIS. Ianto looked around, trying to find their abductors or the Possessed Doctor. There were a few people walking the streets but no one he recognized and Ianto relaxed after awhile.

"If we can pull this off, I can get my body back and impede the slave trade here," the Doctor said to him. "At least delay it here until someone can stop it for good."

"Do you think you can do that?" Ianto said.

"I'm going to try, my friend," the Doctor said. "But for now, I want out of this body. It's old and feeble and I hate being this way. I was better off inside Rose, truth be told."

"Can you enter her again?" Ianto said.

"No, I don't want to do that and leave this bloke unrestrained. Besides, it wasn't fair to do that to Rose. I panicked and went into her without her permission. I should have asked but I couldn't do it in front of The Dementor. I suppose in the end it didn't matter since he found me out anyway. But I need to be in here in order to enact our plan."

"Ianto?"

The Doctor and Ianto froze for a moment and then turned to see James running towards them with a laser blaster. The Doctor was surprised when James leveled the blaster at him.

"I shoulda known, you were taken by slavers, weren't you?" James said to Ianto. "Leave him alone and return the others to the inn," he said to the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled at that.

"Wow, you give good service," he said to James. "Free rooms and protection for your guests."

"Where are they? Where's Rose?" James said, pointing the blaster at the Doctor's hearts.

"Rose is safe," Ianto said. "This isn't…"

"Jarvik," the Doctor said when Ianto couldn't remember his name. "I'm the Doctor; I was one of the ones who stayed in your inn."

"Don't give me that. I know the owner of the slave stables when I see him. Now where are they?" James growled at him.

"Sir, this is the Doctor, he's inside Jarvik," Ianto said, afraid James was seconds away from shooting his friend.

"Don't be daft, how could your friend be inside him?" James said to Ianto while he gestured to the Doctor with his gun.

"I have the ability to transfer my consciousness to another living being," the Doctor said. "I don't do this often but it was an emergency because the man that kidnapped us could do it as well. He took over my mind and I took over Rose's mind temporarily. They took us to the slave stables and thanks to Rose; I was able to take over Jarvik's mind."

James was hesitant while he stared at the Doctor.

"We're trying to stop the man who took me over and stop the slave trade. I was going to my ship to make sure I can access it and get a disguise for Ianto as part of my plan."

"Can you help us?" Ianto said to James.

"Yes, please help us," the Doctor said. "You want to see the slave trade ended, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," James said. "But this is a bit much. You're really inside Jarvik?"

"I am," the Doctor said. "And if you don't believe me, come with us. We'll take you to Rose and Jack and show you they're alright."

James thought for a moment and then to the Doctor's relief, he lowered his blaster.

"Okay, show me," he said to them.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief when they neared the TARDIS and it was still there.

"Here I am, old girl, just in a different body," he said as he took the force field device out of his pocket.

He felt for the force field and found it was still in place. He pushed the button on the device, tried again and grinned when he encountered no resistance. He beckoned to his friends and they walked up to the front door of the TARDIS.

"What is this?" James asked Ianto.

"His ship," Ianto said.

The Doctor asked the TARDIS to open the door. The TARDIS did a scan of his mind and once she confirmed the Doctor was inside Jarvik, she opened the door.

"Thanks, girl," the Doctor said as he walked inside.

Ianto walked inside with James and smiled when the old man did a double take at the interior.

"Yeah, I had that reaction as well," Ianto said.

"Ianto, shut the door. I'm going to move the TARDIS to the slave stables," the Doctor said to him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Rose was eating with Jack and her new friends when they suddenly heard a wheezing behind them.

"He found the TARDIS," Jack said.

"No, no, it's alright!" Rose said to the former captives when they began panicking. "It's the Doctor's ship, he's bringing it here."

They watched while the TARDIS materialized and powered down. The Doctor opened the door and smiled at his friends as he, Ianto and James came outside.

"Oh my gods, we moved," James said, looking around.

"Yup, it does that," Ianto said.

"My gods, what happened here?" James said, moving to the camp beds.

"They've been like that since we came here," Jack said, getting up.

"And we're moving them to my med bay so they can get proper treatment," the Doctor said. "Jack, can you help me move them?"

Jack nodded. James watched while they gently picked the women up in their arms and the Doctor and Jack went inside the TARDIS. James knelt down by the others.

"Are you all slaves as well?" he asked them.

"We were but they saved us," Lucy said while the others nodded. "We're going to help them stop these people from hurting anymore people."

"Let me help as well," James said to Rose and Ianto. "I hate these people. They're riffraff and they've cheapened this city and stained its reputation. I want them gone."

"Welcome aboard then," Rose said before hugging him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Okay, I think they'll be alright," the Doctor said when he and Jack came out of the TARDIS. "They're both critical, internal injuries, dehydration and starvation but the TARDIS is mending them. Actually, my ship offered to make an android duplicate of my body for me to inhabit but I need to be in Jarvik's body for the moment. I have a shimmer for Ianto, it's a holographic disguise that will surround his body. It's completely realistic so hopefully The Dementor won't suspect him if he shows up."

"Doctor, James wants to help," Rose said.

The Doctor nodded.

"He asked and I accepted, nice to know that someone in this city wants the slave trade gone," he said.

He stared at the chain dangling from Rose's collar and he grabbed it and tugged it playfully.

"Kneel," he said to her.

"Nope," Rose said.

"Belligerent, nothing ever changes," the Doctor said to Jack while Rose giggled. "Still, she'll fetch a pretty price at auction tomorrow," he said before letting out a cheesy laugh.

"Yes, sell her, she called me a gigolo," Jack said.

The Doctor stared at him.

"And?" he finally said while Rose giggled.

"She called me a gigolo," Jack said.

"And?" the Doctor said.

"I'm not a gigolo."

Rose laughed harder when the Doctor stared at him.

"Sure about that?" he finally said.

"Yes, Doctor, I'm sure about that," Jack said dryly while Rose snorted out laughter.

"I'd check again if I were you. Now come, Rose, I have need of you," the Doctor said, tugging on the chain playfully.

"Oh no, what will I do now?" Rose said melodramatically, throwing the back of her hand against her forehead while she followed the Doctor to the desk. "How shall I escape?"

"Now," the Doctor said, sitting down in the chair and putting the end of the chain on the table. "I need to look through the paperwork. You stand there and look pretty."

"Okay," Rose said while the others came up to the desk.

"Um…how come the paperwork has dirt and shoeprints on them?" the Doctor said to Rose.

"Jack sat there and put his feet up on the table," Rose said, pointing to him.

"I needed to see this," the Doctor said, holding up a piece of paper with Jack's shoeprint on it. "I didn't need to see the bottom of your shoes."

"Sorry, I was relaxing," Jack said, shrugging.

"Rose, sic him," the Doctor said, waggling the chain before setting it back down on the table.

Rose came up to the chair while the Doctor quickly scanned the paperwork.

"James, how long have you been here?" the Doctor said, glancing up at him.

"About eight years, why?"

"The slave auction has been here for much longer so as long as you've been here, you've seen what they've done," the Doctor said.

"Yes. I tried to help some of the people but I received a lot of death threats from the slavers and was beaten up once or twice to keep me from interfering. Actually, Veronica was one of the slaves, I finally saved up enough credits to buy her and I gave her a job and pay her. She was sold into slavery as a toddler so she doesn't remember where she came from or who her parents were. I tried to help others but I can only do so much."

The Doctor nodded.

"You did what you could and I thank you for that," he said. "You rescued Veronica."

"I just wish I could have done the same for others," James said while Lucy put her hand on his shoulder.

"You risked your life to free someone, that's more than most people have probably done around here," Lucy said.

When they carried Rose out, I suspected they were being abducted. I heard yelling in your rooms and was going to investigate but then it got quiet again so I didn't bother. I should have done."

"No, you might have been killed," the Doctor said. "You're here now, my friend, and you can help us bring these people down once and for all."

"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it," James said.

The Doctor smiled when the former captives echoed his sentiment. He looked at Rose and she laughed when he rattled her chain.

"Tea and lots of it, missy, now!"

"Nope, I'm rebelling," Rose said while James patted her shoulder.

"Blast, I felt like having a cuppa and now I can't get my slave to get it for me. Woe is me, I am thirsty and no one cares," the Doctor said melodramatically.

"I could get you some," Lucy said.

"Could you? You'd be my new best friend if you did," the Doctor said.

"If that is what you want, master."

The Doctor flinched at that. He was about to tell Lucy he was joking but she winked and he relaxed, knowing she realized he was only kidding. He told her he would get it instead but before he did, he rattled Rose's chain again and gave her a stern look while Rose stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled, let the chain dangle and got up to fix him and everyone else some tea.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

A few hours later, the Doctor led everyone inside the TARDIS so they could spend the night in comfort in one of the guest rooms. He led them to a corridor and showed them several rooms with adjoining bathrooms and showers. He showed them how to request anything from his ship, asking the TARDIS to provide what they needed by requesting some shampoo in front of them and pointing to a full bottle when it materialized on a table in one of the bedrooms. When he was satisfied that they would be alright, he left them and walked back to the console room.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Rose went to her room and freshened up. She considered taking a shower but she looked at the rusty chain around her neck and worried that it might rust further if she got it wet. She decided to just lie down and relax. She took off her shoes and socks and got into bed, trying to relax with the collar around her neck. She finally got comfortable and closed her eyes. She was just about to drift off to sleep when she felt someone stroking her cheek. She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw the Doctor standing above her in his own body.

"You're back to normal?" she said.

"No. I decided to accept the TARDIS's offer to make me an android body. I hate being in that old body, I'd rather be in here and just use a shimmer to disguise myself."

"And what happened to Jarvik?" Rose said.

"He's in my interrogation room. I was going to interrogate him but I wondered if you wanted to help me."

"Of course," Rose said.

She was about to get up when the Doctor put his hand on her chest. Rose watched while he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Rose sighed when he used it on the collar and it opened up.

"Forgive me," he said to her as he took the collar off and put it on her bedside table.

"For what?" Rose said, rubbing her slightly chafed neck.

"For leaving you unprotected," the Doctor said, stroking her cheek.

"Doctor, this isn't your fault," Rose said. "You didn't know this was gonna happen."

"No, but I should have done something so I could track you," the Doctor said. "I left you vulnerable but I won't make the mistake again."

Rose watched while he pulled a small syringe out of his jacket pocket.

"What is it?" Rose said.

"It's a tracker chip," the Doctor said, showing her the syringe filled with saline solution. "It's microscopic but it's in there. I'm going to put it under your skin so if this happens again, I can locate you straight away. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, do it," Rose said, nodding her head.

"You trust me so much, Rose," the Doctor said as he stroked her cheek. "Sometimes I don't feel like I earned that trust, especially when you and your mum land up in trouble like this."

"But you come for me, you always come for me," Rose said, putting her hand on his arm. "I knew you'd come for me this time."

"But one day I might not come for you," the Doctor said. "It could have been much worse, you could have been raped or abused or sold somewhere where I could never find you. I put your life in danger all the time and yet, you still trust me."

"I always trust you, I know you'll be there for me when I need you the most," Rose said. "Please stop tormenting yourself, Doctor. You're here and I'm safe."

The Doctor nodded. Rose could tell he wasn't entirely convinced of that and she knew he was still silently berating himself for what happened but he said nothing and helped Rose to sit up. Rose watched while he hitched up her shirt sleeve and inserted the short needle of the syringe into her arm.

I trust you, my love, I always will, Rose thought while she watched the saline solution going into her arm.

He finished and withdrew the syringe. He held it up in the palm of his hand and there was a flash as the TARDIS took it away and replaced it with a small plaster bandage. He put the plaster over the needle hole and then he kissed her cheek tenderly while he put her sleeve back down. Rose was astonished at how realistic the android was. Even though it was a duplicate body, Rose felt warmth coming from his lips and even wetness. He finished the kiss and was drawing back, but Rose cupped his face and pulled her back to him, kissing him again. The Doctor embraced her and put his hand on the back of her head while he deepened the kiss. When they finished, Rose laid her forehead against his and again she was astounded when she felt hot breath on her face.

"It's so realistic, I can feel your breath, hear you breathing," she said as they kept their foreheads together.

"It's sixty first century technology. By then they were able to design a completely realistic body," the Doctor said. "Actually, that became a problem since the humans couldn't tell who was real and who was android."

"Like the Terminator?" Rose said.

"Sorta," the Doctor said. "The TARDIS replicated the design and fixed it so I could inhabit the body and control it as effortlessly as my own body."

Rose pulled her head back and touched his cheek. Again, she was amazed at the warmth of the flesh and the realistic feel of it. She put her fingers on his jugular vein.

"I can feel a pulse," she said.

"Told you, it's completely realistic," the Doctor said. "I feel more comfortable in here. I hated being in Jarvik's body. He's old, he's out of shape and his memories are a bit unsettling. I went through some of them and witness cruelty of numerous slaves over the years. All the horrible things he did, I had to keep blocking out the flashes of memory so I wouldn't have to see them."

Rose felt a jolt of anger from that.

"He's done this for so many years," she said. "He doesn't deserve prison, he deserves to be a slave himself, give him a taste of his own medicine."

"I agree but then we'd be no better than he is," the Doctor said, stroking his cheek. "But I do need information because I had to lock away some of his mind with him when I took control of his body. So will you come with me?"

"Yes," Rose said.

He kissed her lips one more time before taking her hand. Rose got up from the bed and he squeezed her hand before they left her bedroom.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

The Doctor opened the door to the interrogation room and put his hand on Rose's back while he ushered her inside. Rose looked around. She'd never been in this room before; never had a reason to but the interior was a bit unsettling to her. The majority of the TARDIS was organic, made of coral and more welcoming than this. This room was made of steel with roundels in the walls. In the center of the room, Jarvik was strapped to a metal table with surgical lights hanging above him. There was a metal counter on the left side with metal drawers above and below it. At the back was a steel cell with a steel cage doors. Unlike the cell in the slave stables, this one was clean but clinical looking with a steel slab built into the left side of the wall and a metal sink and toilet at the back. The whole thing was so unlike the Doctor it frightened her a bit. She figured the Doctor must have sensed that because he was looking at her with a concerned look on his face.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," he said softly as he laid his hand on her cheek.

"No, I'm fine. It's just…different from the other rooms," Rose said. "When I'm with you, you've always been so warm and kind, this room isn't like you at all."

"That's because I keep some aspects my personality hidden from you, my hearts," he said, stroking her cheek. "What I show you most of the time is the Doctor side of me, this…this is the Oncoming Storm, the part that's not warm and kind."

Rose shivered a bit at that. The Doctor asked her again if she wanted to be here and Rose nodded.

"I want to hear what he says," Rose said to him. "I want to know if he knows that man and if he knows where Mum might be. I'll be alright, promise."

The Doctor nodded. Rose noticed Jarvik was still unconscious as the Doctor beckoned to her and she followed him to the counter. He opened a drawer and Rose saw several syringes in vacuum packed sheaths along with tiny bottles filled with different colored liquid. Rose picked up one filled with purple liquid and examined it.

"That wipes a person's memory," the Doctor said to her. "I'm not using that though, at least not now."

"What are you using?" Rose said, putting the bottle back.

"Truth serum, at least I'm gonna have it on standby in case he won't talk," the Doctor said, taking out a bottle filled with a pale amber liquid.

"Are some of these…poison?" Rose asked.

She noticed the Doctor stiffen and she put her hand on his back to reassure him that she wasn't judging him.

"Some," the Doctor said, glancing at her. "Some are designed for torture. Giving someone a pounding headache, making them sick to their stomach, that sort of thing. And some are designed to kill. Most of these have never been used, mind. I just keep them in here, just in case. I do use the truth serum from time to time though. And I will use it if he's not being helpful."

As he pulled it out and a syringe, Rose glanced at all the other cabinets and wondered what else the Doctor was storing in this room. She had a feeling the other cabinets contained things designed to torture and kill. But the Doctor didn't open any others. He laid the syringe and bottle on the counter and walked back to Jarvik. Rose followed him and stood at his side while the Doctor put his fingers on Jarvik's temples. She watched him close his eyes and several seconds later, Jarvik's eyes slowly opened. The Doctor took his hands away and waited with Rose until he was fully awake. He waited while Jarvik got his bearings, saw him standing there and then waited for him to realize he was strapped down and helpless.

"What is this?" Jarvik said to the Doctor.

"This is interrogation," the Doctor said. "This is you providing me with information so I can bring down your little slaving operation. This is me making your life a living hell if you don't cooperate. And this is Rose, the girl you accepted into your stable along with our friends. She's here because she wants to hear the truth from your lips about what you do and how long you've been doing it. So talk!"

"That bloke that turned us over to you, do you know him?" Rose said to Jarvik.

"You mean the man that looked like him?" Jarvik spat out as he nodded his chin at the Doctor. "That's what he looked like, dearie."

"Do you know where my Mum is? Jackie Tyler," Rose said.

"Not a clue," Jarvik said. "Why don't you ask your pimp here where she went."

He grunted when the Doctor slapped him across the face.

"Do you know where the man who looked like me went?" the Doctor said to him.

"He went away, him and the little group that brought them in," Jarvik said, nodding to Rose. "If I'd seen him before, I wouldn't know him because he looked like you and I've never seen you before in my life."

The Doctor asked the TARDIS to scan his mind and show him a hologram of the man in his true form. The TARDIS did it and projected a three dimensional hologram of the hooded, cloaked man in front of the table.

"Has anyone ever come to you dressed like this," the Doctor said, pointing to the image while he kept his eyes focused on Jarvik.

"No," Jarvik said.

But the Doctor detected a flicker of recognition on his face seconds before he said that. His eyes narrowed and he bent over to him.

"You're lying," he growled at Jarvik. "You recognized him just then. You've seen him before. So who is he?"

Jarvik tried to remain silent but he grunted when the Doctor grabbed a hold of his collar and jerked his head up to his. Jarvik felt a shiver of fear run down his spine when he saw the rage smoldering in the Doctor's eyes.

"Who…is…he?" the Doctor said, emphasizing each word. "Tell me or I'll use truth serum on you and get the truth out of you that way."

"He says his name is Callisto," Jarvik said. "That's all I know about him. He always dresses like that; I've never seen his face or body."

"That's because he doesn't have a face or body," Rose said. "He ascended."

"And he's only a consciousness which is how he was able to enter my body," the Doctor said. "He hates me and he wants me to suffer. He tried to sell my friends into slavery and he swanned off with my body. But I have a feeling he'll return if we stage a slave auction tomorrow. As for you…you'll be sent to a prison planet where you'll pay for your crimes and there are many, I've seen some of your memories when I was inside your body. You treated people like cattle, to be sold to the highest bidder. You abused and degraded them and for that, I'm going to take you to the nastiest prison planet I can find and you can live out the rest of your life there."

"No, please, don't," Jarvik said, shuddering with fear. "Have mercy on me, it was just a business."

"No, it wasn't," the Doctor snarled at him, his face inches from Jarvik. "You took advantage of some of the women that came through your so-called stables. You raped some of the women in your care; I saw that in your mind. That's why you finally gave in to Rose's offer. Because you fancied her as well. Too bad Rose is a cut above some of the people you've dealt with. And consider yourself lucky you didn't rape her because I would have made it far worse for you if you had. As for mercy? Why should I show you any when you showed none to the people in your stable?"

"Look, I'm sorry I took your…girlfriend?" Jarvik said, looking at Rose briefly before looking at him.

The Doctor didn't say anything to that.

"She's not your whore, I'm assuming, since you slapped me for calling you her pimp."

What she is to me is none of your business," the Doctor growled at him. "And asking for mercy will get you nothing. I have none for the likes of you."

"Then I hope Callisto kills you and sends that bitch of yours into sexual slavery for the rest of her…"

He grunted when the Doctor slapped his face harder before jerking his head back up to his. At first Jarvik was afraid the Doctor would do much worse but then he let his head drop to the table and before he could say anything, the Doctor put his fingertips against his temples and Jarvik felt his world go black as he passed out.

The Doctor turned to Rose once he was through and gave her an apologetic look.

"I think he's telling you the truth about your mum," he said to her.

"So we need Callisto, we need to talk to him then," Rose said.

"Yes. So we have to wait till morning," the Doctor said.

"And what about Jarvik, what happens to him," Rose said.

"Well, I meant what I said about taking him to the nastiest prison planet I know. An honor I will be reserving for Callisto as well," the Doctor said. "For now, let's let him rest. I knocked him out so deeply, he won't wake up until I bring him out of it."

He took Rose's hand and Rose gave Jarvik a look of disdain before she followed the Doctor out of the room.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Rose spent the rest of the night assisting the Doctor, Jack and Ianto in taking care of their guests. The two females finally regained consciousness and after talking to them, the Doctor found out they were sisters, runaways that were living on the streets and had been abducted by slavers. The Doctor offered to take them back home but the sisters told him they'd been abused and molested at home and they were scared to go back. The Doctor asked their ages and found out they were fourteen and sixteen. The fourteen year old was named June and her sister was named Addis. The Doctor allowed them a bit of food and let them heal. He finally told his friends to rest because they needed their energy for the slave auction tomorrow. He kissed Rose goodnight and told her he'd wake her early the next morning. Rose kissed Jack and Ianto goodnight before retiring to her bedroom.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

It was a few hours since Rose fell asleep. She was dreaming of the Doctor saving her mother from enslavement when she suddenly sensed someone was near her. She gasped and opened her eyes and the Doctor put his hand up on her face.

"It's alright, it's me," the Doctor said as he lay in bed with her. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright, I'm just glad it was you," Rose said.

"I finished my work and just wanted to rest with you for a bit," the Doctor said. "Is that okay?"

"Of course," Rose said, snuggling against him.

The Doctor put his arm around her, loving the feel of her body against him. He stroked her back, staring into her face. She looked at him with complete love and the Doctor was amazed that after all he did, she still loved him deeply. He felt a bit guilty for waking her up but he needed to be with her, to hold her close and savor the fact that she was with him again. Rose relaxed in his arms and closed her eyes and the Doctor watched over her while she slept. While he held her, he felt glad to be back in some sort of body but at the same time, he wondered what she was dreaming about and wanted to see inside her mind again, to see those fantasies of their lovemaking that he had to admit he enjoyed.

After a few hours, Rose stirred again and the Doctor frowned, wondering what was wrong.

"Have to use the toilet," she muttered when she noticed the concerned look on the Doctor's face.

The Doctor hopped up and let her go by.

"Need help?" he teased as she slowly walked to the bathroom.

"No, I think I can manage the toilet, thanks," Rose said with a grin while she looked over her shoulder.

She went in and closed the door while the Doctor lay back down on the far side of the bed so he wouldn't block her way. She came out five minutes later and smiled as she headed for her bed.

"You must be really lonely," she said as she sat down on the side of the bed.

"I'm bored and to be honest, I need a bit of contact between us right now," the Doctor said as Rose got under the covers and lay back down. "I don't like the thought of putting you in a slave auction, even if it is fake."

"I don't mind. I know it's you," Rose said, touching his face.

"Yes, but I don't like the thought of putting you up for display in front of all those people. The auction will be fake but the reactions of the buyers won't be and I don't like the thought of a bunch of bastards leering at you and bidding on your body. It disgusts me. I love humans but this is one facet of humanity that I despise."

"Then why do you bother with us at all?"

The Doctor grinned.

"Because there are people like James out there who are the best of humanity and that's why I keep rooting for ya," he said. "James and Lucy and the others who are willing to stand up to the slavers and stop them. And then there's Jack. When we met him, he was a con artist and now look at him. So people can change, if given the chance."

"What about Jarvik?" Rose said.

"I offered him the same chance during the interrogation. I tried to make him see the error of his ways but he sees all this as just a business. He won't change, Rose, he's set in his ways so the only recourse is to contain him. It won't stop the slave trade, maybe not even the slave auction but there's one more slaver out of commission. Not to mention we got his latest acquisitions away from him now."

He sighed and stroked her cheek.

"I'm keeping you awake though, get some rest, yeah? I'll stay here."

Rose nodded and kissed his lips. The Doctor put his arm around her and kissed her head when she snuggled close to him and fell back to sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The next morning, Rose and the Doctor got up and Rose took a shower while the Doctor went to check on June and Addis and the others. While Rose took her shower, she psyched herself up for the day ahead. The Doctor was right about the men not being aware of the ruse and she knew she'd have to endure standing up on the concrete stage while men drooled over her and taunted and said crude remarks about her. It made her realize how well the Doctor treated her. She'd had several boyfriends over the years, some more gentlemanly than others but all of them treated her like a piece of meat sometimes. Even Mickey sometimes made crude remarks about him to his friends when she was around him. But the Doctor was always respectful and always made her feel like a person, which she guessed why he was so upset about pretending to be Jarvik. Because he'd have to treat her like a piece of meat in order to sell the ruse. It made Rose love him more that he was so worried about her feelings in the midst of all this.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

When she was ready, she and everyone else went out to the stables and met in the office. The Doctor assembled them together in front of him.

"Right, I had a look at Jarvik's memories so I know how they usually do this," he said to them.

He gave Rose an apologetic look.

"I'm afraid the slaves must be naked," he said to everyone while looking directly at her. "I could alter it and allow you to wear bikinis."

"No, you have to do it the way it's been done or people will suspect something," Rose said.

"I agree, we'll survive going out there naked in front of everyone," Lucy said. "Just as long as it brings down the slave trade around here."

"Well, I was just giving you fair warning," he said to everyone. "Also, you need to be oiled up. They shine up the slaves to make them look appealing."

"So we're gonna be slicker than a greased pig out there," Jack said.

"Yes, men and women are naked and oiled for this, so don't get too excited," he said to Jack.

"You mean I can't roll around and strike provocative poses for the buyers?"

"Not unless you want me to kill you in a bizarre and grotesque way and watch while you come back to life. You're a frightened man being sold into slavery, not a Chippendale dancer showing off the goods."

"Okay, I get it," Jack said while Rose chuckled.

The Doctor took the women aside and did the oiling while Jack and Ianto did the same for the men. At first the former captive women were hesitant about disrobing in front of the Doctor but Rose reassured them that the Doctor would treat them with respect so they followed her lead and took their clothes off. The Doctor went to the desk and picked up three large bottles of oil. He handed one to Jack, one to Ianto and kept one for himself. He carefully oiled the women, keeping Rose for last. Rose noticed the women were a bit skittish at first but they realized that Rose was right about the Doctor being respectful, especially since he didn't dwell on the private parts. She also noticed he was keeping his eye on Jack while he was oiling the men but she noticed Jack was also being respectful and discrete.

Then the Doctor got to Rose and they locked eyes for a moment before the Doctor began oiling her up. He was discrete with her too, although Rose noticed he lingered a moment on her private parts before oiling them. Once they were finished, Ianto oiled up Jack and Rose laughed when Jack exaggerated the heavy breathing and eye rolls.

"Oh, Yan, you have magic fingers," he moaned while Rose giggled.

Rose patted the Doctor and the shoulder when he rolled his eyes at that. Then the Doctor walked back to the desk and picked up some more of the collars and chains. Rose groaned when he put a fresh collar back on her neck after doing the same to the other women.

"I would give you blankets to cover yourselves but you're all oiled up and it would ruin that. I'm sorry," the Doctor said to the women.

After everyone was finished, the Doctor called Ianto over and showed him a little black box.

"This is a shimmer," he said to him. "I programmed yours so that you'd look like one of the rough types who would be involved in the slave trade. There's a little black button here," he said pointing to the top of it. "Put it in your trouser pocket and push the button."

Ianto did as he told him and pushed the button once it was inside his pocket. There was a huge flash and everyone gasped when Ianto was replaced by a rough looking pirate type with scars all over his body and an eye patch over his right eye. He had a shaved head and a chiseled look to his face. He wore black leather pants and a black leather waistcoat over his chiseled bare chest.

"Ooo, I approve," Jack said, coming up beside him. "Take me, take me!"

"Jack, behave," the Doctor said while Jack patted Ianto on the shoulder.

The Doctor put a second box in his pocket, turned it on and his form was replaced by Jarvik's.

"Okay, everyone come with me," the Doctor said to them in his own voice. "You need to line up in a queue at the door and I need to affix the chains together so everyone is chained. Then I'll march you to the auction. Ianto, go ahead and mingle with the crowd."

"Yes, Doctor," Ianto said.

"I'll see you when I'm up on stage," Jack said as Ianto hurried out of the room.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

The Doctor attached the chains to his fake captives, making sure that Rose and Jack were first in the queue. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible and spare the others the humiliation of being bid on. James came by to check on them and told them that a crowd was gathering around the stage.

"He's there, Doctor. That man who stole your body," James said. "He's at the back of the crowd."

"Good, I knew he couldn't resist watching," the Doctor said. "In that case, Rose will go first, then Jack if necessary. I just need him to watch long enough for me to grab him."

"How will you grab him?" Rose said.

"The force field cage. I'll try to lure him close enough to the stage to activate it," the Doctor said. "That's why we need to do this. At least keep it going long enough for me to entice him to the front. Rose…"

"I'll put on a show then," Rose said.

"No, you're not a pole dancer," the Doctor said.

Rose shook her head.

"No, I mean…"

Rose fell to her knees and begged the Doctor for mercy briefly before getting up.

"That's what I mean," Rose said. "The scared captive bit."

"Good, that's what I wanna see then. Make it look real. Resist, yeah? You're in danger of being sold. Got that, Jack?"

"Got it," Jack said.

"Right. James, thanks for the warning. Go ahead and mingle with the crowd."

"Got it," James said before hurrying away.

"Right," the Doctor said to everyone. "Like I said, Rose and Jack will hopefully be the only ones to get up on the stage but the rest of you need to act like this is real, yeah? Show me a little pizzazz people, make me proud of your acting skills!"

He smiled when everyone chuckled.

"Right, let's go, my slaves. It's showtime!" he said to them.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

It was a short distance to the concrete stage but the captives wailed and cried out and made a show of resisting all the way to it. Even Jack was getting into the act, even though Rose had never known him to beg or wail or act like a cowered slave. The Doctor yelled at them and occasionally slapped them on the head, taking care to do it so it didn't hurt but it looked convincing. He also jerked on Rose's chain, again so it didn't hurt her but enough to convince everyone he was Jarvik leading in slaves for bidding. He stopped them by the stage. There was a large iron ring by the steps for the chains. He had used a small metal clamp on the chains to link them together. He took off the one that linked Jack's chain to Rose's and held Rose's chain in one hand while he used the clamp to link Jack's chain to the iron ring. Then he leaned in to Rose's face.

"Ready, my hearts?" he whispered.

"Ready, Doctor."

"Then act your arse off, my slave," he whispered back.

"Anything for you, Master," Rose said softly.

The Doctor chuckled and jerked on the chain.

"Get up there, you bitch!" he said, forcing himself to say that to his lover as he went up the steps.

Rose grasped the chain with both hands and pretended to resist as they went up the stairs. The buyers were leering and hollering rude things while she went up onto the stage and the Doctor forced his anger down and the impulse to hit some of them for the crude things they were saying. He took her to the post and pulled out another clamp from his pocket. He clamped her chain to the post and turned to the crowd while Rose acted afraid and begged him to let her go. He looked over the crowd and just as James said, Callisto was standing at the back, enjoying every moment of this. He noticed James was standing at the front and James nodded at him when their eyes met.

"Right, you lot!" the Doctor said, imitating Jarvik's voice. "How much for this beauty here? Look at her, look at how beautiful she is? She'll warm your bed, I guarantee it!"

"No, please don't do this!" Rose yelled as the men began to bid.

The Doctor had his back to her but she noticed him stiffen for a moment when she said that. She knew it was making him uncomfortable doing this but he kept up the act while people bid credits on her. She caught Callisto's eye and he smirked at her, which made her loath him all the more. It was surreal seeing the Doctor's body at the back while the real Doctor stood on the stage, taking bids from everyone. She found Ianto in the crowd and he was trying to outbid everyone as fast as he could. She continued to beg for mercy and fight the chain but Callisto stayed at the back and wouldn't move up. Rose knew the Doctor would have to do something else to tempt him up to the front. But while she was thinking that, she suddenly had an idea.

"Hey!" she yelled to Callisto, "why aren't you bidding on me? Don't you want me?"

The crowd fell silent momentarily and turned their heads to see who Rose was yelling at. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at her.

"Tempting him up to the front," Rose said softly.

The Doctor nodded and turned his head back around. Callisto narrowed his eyes and backed up slightly when the crowd looked right at him.

"Yeah, you. Why aren't you bidding? Aren't I worth it?" Rose yelled at Callisto.

"Maybe he's trying to steal her from us once we bid on her," Ianto yelled.

"Yeah, that's right, he's trying to take me away from you," Rose said.

The crowd began to mutter angrily as Callisto backed away from them.

"Why don't you come up front, mate, where we can keep an eye on you?" one of the men said.

"Yeah, the girl's right," another man said. "You're just standing at the back and not saying anything. Going to nick our prize once we're finished bidding on her?"

To the Doctor's delight, several men at the back seized him and compelled him to go up front. Others in the crowd helped out and a minute later, Callisto was standing right at the front within the reach of the force field cage.

"You fucking git, muzzle the bitch!" Callisto growled at the Doctor as he pointed to Rose.

"I'm busy at the moment," the Doctor said. "I'm trying to conduct an auction. No one's gonna bite ya, mate. Stand there."

Callisto glowered at him but the Doctor hid a smile as he turned his attention back to the bidders. But then suddenly Callisto tried to run back through the crowd. And now the crowd, which suspected the flight was due to him being found out, became even more hostile. Then suddenly, Callisto whipped out a laser blaster and the crowd began to disperse when he shot a couple of the men beside him dead. He turned around and pointed a blaster at the Doctor.

"I know who you are, Doctor. I can see inside your mind and I know this is a disguise," Callisto said.

"Give me back my body!" the Doctor growled.

He started to jump down from the stage but Callisto aimed his blaster at Rose's stomach. Rose screamed when he shot her and the Doctor roared with rage as he turned and fled. Ianto and James tried to grab him but they quickly ducked when Callisto turned and fired at them. He then tried to shoot the Doctor. The Doctor hit the floor of the stage and watched while Callisto ran away before he went to Rose.

"Sorry," Rose murmured as she lay there.

"No, it's alright, we'll get him," the Doctor said as Ianto and James leapt up onto the stage and ran to her.

Jack unclamped his chain and unclamped Lucy's chain from his. Lucy and the other captives undid their clamps while Jack leapt up onto the stage and ran to Rose.

"It's not lethal," the Doctor said to him as he knelt down. "It was a diversion so he could get away. But she needs medical attention. Help me get her and everyone else back to the TARDIS."

Jack nodded. He gathered Rose in his arms and he and the Doctor sprinted towards the stables while James and Ianto helped the other captives free themselves.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

The Doctor and Jack took Rose to the med bay. June and Addis were still there, lying in hospital beds and they watched while Jack put Rose on a padded examination table. The Doctor switched off the shimmer and looked at his friend.

"Jack, stand at the front door and make sure no one except our friends gets inside. I'll handle this," the Doctor said.

Jack nodded. He patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Not your fault," he said to the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded and waited until Jack left.

"He's right," Rose groaned. "Not your fault this happened."

The Doctor kissed her hand in response.

"Perhaps not but I still feel bad," he said to her. "TARDIS, start a scan and see if we can sort her out."

Rose held still while a wide laser beam came down from above and scanned her stomach. The Doctor held her hand while the TARDIS determined the extent of her injuries and the measures needed to fix her.

"He got away then," Rose said, looking at the Doctor while the scan was performed. "He knew who you were. He knew you were inside me. How can he know that?"

"He said he was trained by someone, apparently being consciousness, he can see into other's minds," the Doctor said.

"And he'll be long gone by now," Rose said bitterly. "We don't know where Mum is."

"Yes, but…I have a feeling he'll be back," the Doctor said. "He brags about how powerful he is, but I'm still a threat and as long as I'm alive, him and his brand new body aren't safe. Plus, I'm sure he'll want to use Jackie as leverage. This was just the first battle in the war. If he was serious about not finishing me off, he would have killed us both stone dead. This is a game, my hearts. And I'm afraid we have to play it in order to get Jackie and my body back."

Rose sighed and lowered her head to the table while the Doctor stroked her hair and let the TARDIS repair her body.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"So what happens now?" Jack said as everyone assembled in the med bay.

"Now, we have to find him again," the Doctor said while Rose lay on the table in the center of the group and let a healing ray repair the damage made by the blaster.

"If we can find him," Jack said.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll show up again. As I was telling Rose, this is now a game and the object of the game is my destruction. I was meant to be sold into slavery with Rose but that didn't happen and I'm free to harass him and track him down. He won't let us roam free, he'll be back. But at least I have Jarvik captive and I can take him to a prison planet."

"I'll tell the authorities what's been going on here," James said. "Get them to see reason and close down the slaving operations here and I'll take Lucy and the others with me and see if we can get them home or find homes for them."

"Thank you," the Doctor said. "And good luck, don't let that lot out there intimidate you into leaving."

"P'eh, not a chance, I'm a lot tougher than I look. You can count on me to sort things out while I'm here."

The Doctor thanked her and James came up to Rose.

"Sorry, you got caught up in this," he said to her. "I hope you find your mum."

Rose thanked him and James gently kissed her forehead.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

(A few days later…)

The Doctor stepped outside the TARDIS doors and looked around. They'd landed near the edge of a cliff on a moonlit night. He nodded to Rose, Jack and Ianto and they came outside carrying a blanket, a wicker picnic basket and two thermoses filled with hot tea. They spread the blanket up and Jack sat down by Ianto while the Doctor sat by Rose. Rose's stomach was fully repaired and she was back to normal. When they left James and their friends behind, the Doctor had dropped Jarvik off at a prison planet before going into the vortex and landing at different areas, waiting for a message cube or some sign from Callisto that he was ready to continue the game. This was one of those times. They had landed on an alien planet for a bit of supper, giving the TARDIS a chance to rest in the hopes that a message cube would show up.

"Do you think Jackie's still alive?" Jack said after they passed out plates of chicken, mashed potatoes and broccoli along with the tea and milk.

"Yes," the Doctor said. "She's a part of the game. He won't kill her if she has her uses and she can be used as leverage and to taunt us. She might not be in tip top condition but she's alive. He would be a fool to kill her now."

"Unless he does and just makes us think she's alive," Jack said.

"No, I think she's alive. He knows we're going to look for her so he needs to use her as bait," the Doctor said. "We're a part of the game, Rose and me, but you aren't. You can go back to Cardiff if you like, I won't hold it against you," he said to Jack.

"Hell no, I'm a part of this too," Jack said.

"And so am I," Ianto said. "We started this together and we'll finish it together."

"Thank you," the Doctor said.

They ate their picnic and chatted but no message cube showed up. They lingered for an hour after eating but nothing happened and it was getting cold so reluctantly, they packed up and headed back inside. The Doctor let everyone go inside while he lingered at the front door.

"You may have won the battle, Callisto, but I'll win the war," the Doctor muttered to himself before he went inside, closed the door and started the TARDIS up again.

THE END.

(To be continued…)


End file.
